Fate and Destiny
by Arianna-rules
Summary: A re-write of the S10 episode Luthor. From Clark Kent and Clark Luthor's POV. A story about how their journey to a different reality and the contrast between their relationship with Lois in both worlds impacted them.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Fate and Destiny **

**Rating: PG**

**Spoilers: Season 10 – Luthor**

**A/N: **Many thanks to the wonderful daydreamer (at Divine Intervention) for beta-reading this. This two-part story was written for the V-Day fanfic challenge at DI. The challenge was to re-write an episode the way you'd have liked to see it. I've re-written this episode to make it entirely from Clark's POV and how this journey impacted him. I'm from the minority who did like the original episode so I've preserved that framework of the scenes, except that they're entirely different from what they were in the episode.

Hope everyone enjoys this.

**Part One**

Clark's mind roused from a deep slumber and the first thing he felt was the warmth radiating from a soft body that was pressed against him. A delicate finger slowly ran over his bare skin and he let out a low groan, a smile already making its way towards his lips.

"Lois," he whispered and slowly opened his eyes, expecting to see a pair of the most beautiful hazel eyes in the world gazing at him.

"Hi handsome," a sultry voice greeted him, but it wasn't Lois's voice.

His smile quickly vanished and his eyes widened in shock. He blinked a couple of times and realized that the woman lying next to him on the bed was not his girlfriend.

"Who… who are you?" he jerked up from the bed in utter panic. He was ready to throw away the silk sheets from his body and jump out of the bed before he realized that he was stark naked.

The girl let out a loud dramatic sigh and rolled her eyes.

"I'm Mandy," she bit her bottom lip and pointed a finger over his shoulder, "and she's Bambi."

"You keep mixing our names up."

He jumped upon hearing another female voice and his head zapped in its direction. There was another woman carelessly reclining on his bed with her head resting on her hand. He had just woken up with not one but two completely strange women. He had no idea how to process this, how to even react. What the hell was going on? And where the hell was Lois?

One of the girls slowly removed the silk sheets from her body and revealed her naked form in front of him while her seductive and lust filled gaze traveled from his face down to his bare chest.

That was it. He grabbed one of the silk sheets, wrapped it around his waist and leaped out of the bed.

"Where's Lois?" He finally managed to say something coherent as he shakily landed on the floor.

The girls gave each other a confused look and then their gaze came back to him.

"Who's Lois?" one of them asked.

He threw a cautious, almost scared glance at his surroundings and for the first time realized that he wasn't in his bedroom at all. It was a huge, opulently decorated bedroom that appeared like a suite of a five star hotel. How had he ended up here? And for the hundredth time, where the hell was Lois?

He tried to remember the last night and then the memories suddenly flooded into his mind. He had been at the Cadmus Labs with Tess where he had discovered that strange Kryptonian box in her bag, and then the last thing he remembered was touching that box and being engulfed by the strange light that emitted from it.

He vaguely remembered traveling through some empty space, like a vacuum or an abyss, and then everything had blacked out before him. And now here he was, in this room with these two women he had never seen before in his life.

He had no idea where he was right now. Perhaps it was some distant future, he shuddered at the mere thought of that. Perhaps it was just a trial set up by Jor El. He stood nonplussed, his gaze wandered on everything in the room but avoided the one sight that was before him on the double bed.

"So… " one of the girls drawled, "what do you want to do next?"

"There are plenty of surprises still left," the other one added in a sensual whisper, "like we promised last night." She patted on the bed, inviting him.

"No, uh… um… I don't think so." Clark's eyes virtually bore a hole on the expensive carpet.

"So do you want us to leave?" one of them asked, disappointed.

"Yes," he quickly replied.

He stood still, holding the sheet tightly around his waist, and his eyes firmly fixed on the floor while the girls hopped out of the bed and searched for their clothes in a heap of discarded garments next to the bed. He couldn't even imagine what Lois would do to him if she saw him like this right now.

"See you later baby."

Clark finally gathered the courage to look at them and thankfully they were dressed now. One of the girls blew a kiss at him before they walked out of the room and closed the door behind them. As soon as he heard the door close, he rushed to the side of the bed and picked up a pair of jeans from the floor. It was definitely not his because he had never seen it before, but that wasn't important right now. He quickly put it on and was surprised at how perfectly it fit him. Then he picked up a gray T-shirt and walked in front of a huge mirror next to the bed while he put it on.

His looked at his reflection in the mirror and his mouth hung open in disbelief. There was a strange symbol painted on the shirt, with a 'U' in the center that he had never seen before. It didn't even look Kryptonian. He stood bewildered, trying to solve the mystery when he suddenly heard a voice that baffled him even more.

"Ah, now is the time for an apposite quote, from one of my favorites, Marcus Aurelius."

Clark was astonished to see Lionel Luthor walk into the room. Lionel Luthor, the man who had died three years ago, was standing right in front of him in flesh and blood, looking very much alive.

"When you arise in the morning, think what a privilege it is to be alive, to breathe, to enjoy, to love, to think…" Lionel continued.

"Dress yourself…" he picked up a shirt from the bedside and threw it over Clark.

"Lionel, wait… how…"

"Come now, we Luthor men must cease our day… you only live once son," Lionel said.

_Did Lionel Luthor just call him 'son'?_

That box had probably transported him into a virtual reality or something. This couldn't possibly be happening in the real world.

"You're not supposed to be here," he carefully said as he put on the black dress shirt that Lionel had thrown at him.

Lionel let out a sigh and walked near him.

"Clark, son… I know you are angry that I… what is that word you use… yes… _banished _you to Smallville," he scoffed, "But when I sent you here, I was counting on you to defuse the effects of the poisonous propaganda that the Kents are spreading against us,"

"The Kents?" Clark's eyes instantly lighted up.

For the first time since waking up in this weird world, he had heard something that gave him a glimpse of hope. He wanted to find out more about his parents but Lionel didn't seem to be in the mood to give him room to say anything.

"Now, I don't deny that your damage control strategy has been excellent, acquiring a controlling interest in Daily Planet was a great move, but you'll agree that you are yet to produce any substantial results from it son." Lionel walked away from Clark, towards a huge stained glass window behind the bed.

"And by the way, your Ultraman persona continues to be a genius idea, it's a great way to strong arm our opponents, but right now, uh… you really need to use it effectively to prevent the strike at our fertilizer plant," Lionel paused for a moment and looked at Clark, as if trying to study his expressions.

Clark tried his best to mask his confusion and look as unaffected and normal as possible. If this indeed was one of Jor El's trials, he needed to first take a look around and understand his circumstances before saying anything or taking any action.

"And I honestly don't think that wasting time with your stepsister is going to help you achieve any of that," Lionel said, putting an extra emphasis on the word 'stepsister'.

Clark tried to say something but Lionel stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"Don't think that you can fool me Clark, I know what you and Tess have been up to, but let me tell you that she's not someone you can trust, she's ill and weak, just like her mother," Lionel said.

_Tess was his stepsister which would mean… she was a Luthor!_

If everything around him wasn't already frenzied enough, this latest piece of information just dumbfounded him.

"I expect a lot from you Clark, don't disappoint me," Lionel said incisively. "I am waiting for you in the study, there are some things we need to discuss,"

Without giving Clark a chance to reply, Lionel walked out of the room.

oOo

This was insane.

Everything was upside down.

He desperately tried to make sense out of his surroundings as he sped down the streets of Smallville. The world around him was distressingly dark, colorless and static, as if someone had drained life out of everything. He wasn't sure at the moment if it really was one of Jor El's trials because it didn't seem like a vision or a hallucination. Everything around him was real. _Very real._ He could see, feel, and touch everything. His winced slightly as his thumb rubbed itself over the cut on his palm, the one that had been caused by the blue Kryptonite-tipped fencing foil that Lionel Luthor had thrown at him in the study of the Luthor Mansion.

He still found it hard to believe that Lionel Luthor had found him in the cornfield on the day of meteor shower instead of his mom and dad. Lionel Luthor had brought him to his home and raised him as his son.

_He was known as Clark Luthor._

Lex Luthor's brother, and surprisingly, Tess's too. He had no time to think what to do with this revelation for he had much bigger worries right now. First and foremost, he needed to figure out how to get out of this world and go back to his own.

The 'U' that he had seen on that shirt stood for "Ultraman", his alter ego in this universe and from the way Lionel had talked about Ultraman's 'adventures' it was clear that the other Clark hadn't created this persona to save lives or help people. Ultraman was a way for Clark Luthor to flaunt his powers, blackmail and threaten people to do as he wished. He shuddered with the mere thought of how many people this Ultraman must have harmed, terrorized and destroyed. He couldn't imagine the kind of havoc he must have unleashed. With his powers combined with Lionel's ambition and his infinite thirst for power, Ultraman must be a nightmare for this world.

From the conversation they had at the study of the Luthor Mansion, it did seem that Lionel's influence on this other Clark was very strong. He had successfully instilled all his so-called morals in him, and he expected him to be nothing less than the son he wanted him to be.

"_The heart… it will blind you son…"_

"_I know what you're capable of, you can make a father proud."_

"_The man of tomorrow… Clark Luthor."_

Lost in thoughts, Clark entered the barn of the Kent farmhouse. Lionel Luthor had referred to his parents as 'the Kents' which meant his dad was alive in this world. He was desperate to see him again, to touch and hug him, to hear his voice again, and to seek his help in solving this puzzle.

"Mom, dad," his voice echoed in the empty and deserted barn.

"Dad…" he yelled again and ascended the stairs of the loft but his stride suddenly came to a halt when a woman's familiar voice reached his ears.

"Shhh… dad's not here."

"Tess, what are you doing here?" he asked, surprised, as he stepped into the loft.

"You aren't the only one keeping an eye on the Kents," her voice was low, cautious. "I'm going to show dad that I'm not as useless as he thinks I am."

"You aren't supposed to be here," Clark said, a little disappointed to find her instead of his mom or dad.

"Don't worry, the Kents aren't home," she closed the distance between them and her hands suddenly wrapped themselves around his neck, "You love to make me wait don't you,"

Before Clark could react, her lips crashed on his. He pulled his head away in shock, breaking the kiss as he removed her hands from his neck.

"What are you doing?" he stepped back, angry and confused and then he suddenly remembered Lionel's words.

"I know what you and Tess have been up to."

He was having an affair with Tess, who was his stepsister in this world. This was getting worse every minute.

"Stop worrying, dad will never find us here," Tess said playfully as she tried to take his hand and pull him towards her.

"Tess… I…" Clark freed his hand from her grip and stepped back once again.

"Last time I checked, you were still adopted and I'm still his red headed bastard," she put her hands on the belt of his jeans and tried to unbuckle it.

"Tess, I can't do this…" he pushed her away, this time more forcefully than before.

"Why not?" she stepped back, looking hurt for a moment and then her confusion suddenly turned into anger. "It's her isn't it? You're thinking about her again?"

"Who?" he asked cautiously, almost dreading her reply.

"For God's sake Clark, just tell me for once what is it about her that you just can't get over her?" she suddenly started to yell hysterically, "It's always her isn't it? I can do anything for you but still won't love me, because of her,"

"Tess, please stop… I need your help," Clark grabbed her by her shoulders.

"No," she shouted angrily and pushed him away.

"Why don't you go and ask Lois Lane for help, see if she is ready to become your bitch?" she went on furiously while stuffing her jacket into her bag.

"Lois," Clark's heartbeat quickly rose.

In this strange universe, that one name suddenly made him feel like he was closer to his home. Lois was here. Lois was around. That knowledge was enough to elevate all his fears and worries. Now all he needed to do was to find her.

Tess put her hands on his face and pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Do you really think she can help you Clark?" Tess scoffed and then shook her head, "No, the only person who can help you find that mirror box is me… I've been risking dad's wrath to help you find it but you…"

"The mirror box," he said, surprised.

_The mirror box had brought him into this world. Perhaps it was the key to taking him back to his own._

"Does Lionel… does dad know where it is?" he asked.

"Even if he found it he'd never let you get your hands on it," Tess replied sarcastically. "You know he never lets you touch anything that belongs to Krypton,"

"You know what it can do Clark," she continued, "it can transport us out of this world into an entirely different reality, a different version of our world where we… where you can rule without dad standing in your way, do you think he will let you do that?"

_Entirely different reality. So this was what it was. An alternate version of his world._

Just then, another realization dawned on him.

_If I'm here it means… the other version of me… Clark Luthor is in my universe?_

"But you'll never understand that will you?" Tess continued resentfully, "I was a fool to think that it could work with us, you know I don't get you Clark, Lionel drugs you, he abuses you but you still follow his orders like one of his henchmen, Lois Lane hates you with passion and but you refuse to get over her, and yet you don't trust me, the only person who actually loves you,"

Tears trickled down Tess's cheeks as she picked up her bag and rushed down the stairs. Clark didn't even have the strength to stop her.

_Lois Lane hates you with passion…_

The thought sank his heart. Obviously, how could Lois be in love with him in this world? He was nothing like the man he was in his world. He wasn't a hero, he wasn't a savior. He wasn't the man who could love someone, commit his life to someone. How could Lois love a man like him?

_But Lionel drugged and abused him!_

So far, he had been thinking of Clark Luthor as some sort of a monstrous and heartless version of his own self, but it didn't come as a surprise that Lionel might have left no choice for him but to become that way. He wondered if Lois knew all that. It was apparent from Tess's words that Lois and the other Clark did know each other.

He had no idea what would have happened between them that had made Lois hate him but the one thing he knew was that Lois was the only person he could trust. There was only one thing he needed right now. He needed to find her.

oOo

Clark super sped to Metropolis. It wasn't the city of lights, hopes and inspirations that he used to know from his world. The atmosphere was grave, dark and filled with a sense of fear. People seemed to be going about their usual business but they seemed scared and cautious, as if they were going through a momentary period of calm in the middle of a ferocious war and they had to be thankful for it before it ceased.

The one thing that he didn't fail to find on any street corner was the Luthor Corp logo. In one form or another, the Luthors completely dominated everything. It was as if they owned the city. But what daunted him more than anything else was 'U' shaped Ultraman symbol that he had noticed burned on several walls, and it wasn't the symbol of hope that he spread in his world as the Blur. It stood for the terror that Ultraman spread in this world.

He stopped in front of the Daily Planet building and hesitated for a moment before he walked inside the gate. The moment he stepped inside the landmark building, he let out a sigh of relief. At least there was one place that looked similar to the one he knew from his world. The foyer, the lobby and the stairs were full of people, and the atmosphere was filled with the bustling excitement of a usual news day.

Clark stopped at a newspaper stand outside the elevator and grabbed a copy of the latest edition before he stepped inside the elevator.

Two young men and a woman entered the elevator after him and they instantly stiffened with a sudden self consciousness upon seeing him.

"Good Morning Mr. Luthor," they greeted in unison.

Clark may be in the 'play along' mode right now but he still couldn't bring himself to reply to the name Luthor. He hid his face behind the newspaper to avoid them and the first headline that his eyes caught was about none other than this universe's version of himself.

"_Daily Planet's new CEO Clark Luthor Announces Big Plans to Revamp the Newspaper."_

He dreaded wondering what those plans could possibly be. He had some idea about his agenda after the conversation he had with Lionel this morning and he could imagine what the Luthors in this world would do with the Daily Planet, how they would malign their opponents and whitewash their own crimes using the repute of this newspaper.

The smaller byline next to the big headline was ironically about his alter ego, Ultraman.

"_The Mysterious Monster Continues to Terrorize the City"_

The sub-heading underneath it read _"Could Ultraman have ties with Luthor Corp?"_

However, the one thing that caught his eyes was the name of the reporter who had penned the article.

_By Lois Lane._

The three words filled his heart with hope and joy. Lois was here. She still worked for the Daily Planet. Some things never change in any universe, he thought. Except that in this universe Lois wasn't exactly an ally, he suddenly remembered. The Blur didn't exist in this universe—Ultraman did and it appeared she certainly wasn't a fan of his alter-ego either.

He stood disappointed and conflicted. His eyes absently scanned the newspaper when another headline below the fold captured his attention.

"_Senator Jonathan Kent vows to fight for the labor rights in Smallville"_

oOo_  
_

The pieces were finally falling together, only he didn't know what to do with them. He couldn't stay there, knowing that Clark Luthor was probably already wreaking havoc in his side of the universe. The one thing he desperately needed right now was to find a way to go back, to protect his world, to protect his Lois and his friends.

His mind was cluttered with million different thoughts as he stepped out of the elevator on the top floor of the building. There was only one office on this floor. He halted in front of the door and glared at the nameplate. _Clark Luthor – CEO._ He cringed at that. He still hadn't decided if he was more terrified or disgusted with this whole idea of being a part of the Luthor family.

He hesitated for a moment before he pushed the door open and went inside. He walked in front of the desk in the huge office when the door of the room was suddenly thrown open. He quickly turned around and then it seemed as if everything in his world suddenly came to a halt.

"Lois," was all he said before he lost all control over himself and ran towards her.

The only thing that he wanted in that moment was to take her in his arms, but she shrunk away from him, anger and disgust written all over her face.

"Hey," she put a hand in front of him, stopping him from getting any closer to her.

She was no different from his Lois. She was wearing a dark grey pencil skirt and a light pink blouse. Her beautiful dark hair was tied in a ponytail, and her hazel eyes held the same glint that always mesmerized him. She bit her bottom lip, just like his Lois did when she was anxious or angry. For a moment, he was so taken by her that he forgot everything and simply watched her in awe.

"Lois… I've been searching for you everywhere," he finally managed after a few moments, surprised that he was even able to form a coherent sentence.

"Yeah, the city editor told me," Lois replied, agitated. "You know I thought that you'd come down straight to threats because that's always been your style, but bribery? Seriously, you never cease to amaze me."

Clark could feel the sharp sting of sarcasm in her voice. He tried to speak but she didn't let him.

"Senior Editor of the Current Affairs Section, a corner office and a hefty paycheck," she said in a raging voice. "What were you expecting Clark? That I'd walk in here, thank you for your generosity and then go back, sit behind my new shiny desk and write propaganda pieces on your family?"

"Lois… please listen to me."

"You knew that I'll never accept this, not even in a million years, you only did this to torture me, didn't you?" she asked indignantly.

"Lois why would I want to torture you?" Clark tried to put his hands on her shoulders but she stepped back angrily.

"Because you're a masochist, and because you can't accept defeat," Lois snapped. "I told you that I will continue to write what I write, and if you can't live with that, I'll quit,"

She handed him a white envelope, "Well, this is it."

"What is this?" he hesitantly took it from her hand.

"My resignation," she replied, her face burning red with anger, "It's what you've wanted since the day you've taken over this newspaper isn't it?"

"Lois, no, don't do this," he pleaded.

"No, I'm sick and tired of your games Clark," her voice cracked, "I can't go on with this anymore,"

"Lois, I'm not… I'm not your Clark…" a part of him died when he uttered those words. He may be standing in a different universe right now but there couldn't possibly be anything more painful for him than to tell Lois that he was not hers.

"I found that out a long time ago," she scoffed but he could hear the pain and sarcasm in her voice. He could see the sadness that crept into her eyes.

Clark tried hard to gather words, this could be his only chance to speak to her, yet he couldn't. He was so overwhelmed by her anger, by her outburst of emotions that he couldn't find the strength to say anything to her. All he wanted to do was to pull her against his chest and soothe her fears, her pain. But in this world, he wasn't allowed to do that. She was right in front of him, yet there was nothing between them, no trust, no friendship, and no love. It crushed him to even think that there was a world where Lois was so heartbroken, so lonely.

"You know the truth Clark?" she suddenly said. "I don't blame you for anything, you always were who you were, it was my fault that I couldn't see it."

She straightened her shoulders he could suddenly see the same infallible determination in her eyes that he always saw in his Lois. He stood conflicted and torn while she reached the door.

"Oh and for the record," she said as she opened the door, "this doesn't mean that I will stop working on uncovering Ultraman's identity, sooner or later, the world will find out if he really is a super powered soldier or some Level-33 clone designed by Luthor Corp to pave the way for them towards world domination."

She walked out and slammed the door behind her.

He let out an exhausted sigh and slumped into the chair. So far, everything in this universe was a disaster. Lois wasn't on his side. That alone was enough to drain him of all his strength and determination. From her words and the way she reacted to him, it wasn't difficult for him to realize that the other Clark had hurt her immensely. He wished that he could bring Clark Luthor here and make him see what he had lost.

But perhaps the other Clark didn't even consider any of this his loss, or else he would have tried to win back Lois's trust. He existed in a universe where Lois hated him and he was fully responsible for that.

_But how could he change that?_

His mind told him that he couldn't. No one could right anyone else's wrongs and Clark Luthor wasn't him. He was a different person. He had made his own choices. Whether it was by his own will or Lionel's influence, it didn't change the fact that he had hurt Lois, he was the one who was responsible for this crippled relationship. The only thing that was in Clark's power right now was finding a way to go back to his world and stop Clark Luthor from unleashing destruction on the world that he tried to save every single day.

He snapped out of his thoughts as a new email message flashed on his laptop screen. It was from Tess.

"_Oliver might have what we're looking for. His family took possession of it when Veritas was dissolved."_

He immediately rose from his seat and super sped out of the office.

oOo

Clark walked out of the Daily Planet, not sure where to look for Oliver. Their team and the Watchtower probably didn't exist in this universe, and even if they did, he was willing to bet that Clark Luthor certainly wasn't a part of it. He strolled down the pavement and stopped at the corner of the street, when suddenly he witnessed a sight across the road that ripped his heart.

Lois stood outside a coffee shop, in the arms of the man he was just thinking about. Oliver held her in his embrace and her hands were wrapped around his neck as they kissed each other. He felt as if someone had stabbed him in the heart, and then it was as if anger and disappointment so strongly took over him that he lost all control. Without thinking or realizing what he was doing, he super sped across the road and came to a skidding stop right in front of Lois and Oliver.

They pulled away from each other and for the first time, Clark caught something that he hadn't noticed when he had seen Lois at the Planet earlier. A diamond ring was shining on her finger.

It couldn't be.

"You're engaged," Clark looked from Lois to Oliver, completely broken.

Oliver's gaze fell on Clark and his smile instantly vanished.

"What your employees do with their personal lives is none of your business Luthor," he said coldly.

"Ex-employees," Lois corrected. "I have resigned."

Oliver looked at her surprised.

"I was just about to tell you," she said.

"Congratulations Clark," Oliver said sarcastically. "Daily Planet just lost its last great reporter, now you can finally add it to the bunch of other rags run by the Luthor Corp Media."

Clark didn't even pay attention to Oliver's words. He was too overwhelmed by the agony of seeing Lois with Oliver to worry about anything else in that moment. She hated him and she belonged to another man. Everything about this universe made him loathe his very own existence. Piece by piece his hope fell into a dark abyss.

It was as if all his worst nightmares had converged to bring this world into existence. He felt as if he no longer had the courage to tell Lois and Oliver about himself, and he knew that even if he did, there was no way they would trust him. There was no way they would believe a single word that would come out of his mouth.

"How long have we known each other Clark?" Oliver asked, "Since Excelsior right? I always believed that you could do so much, we could do so much for the world together, but all I've ever seen you do is blow away every chance to do something better, to become someone better,"

"Ollie, stop." Lois put a hand on his arm, "It's like beating your head against a brick wall—you'll just end up hurting yourself."

"You're right," Oliver replied and then took her hand in his. "Come on let's go,"

Lois gave Clark a sharp glance as Oliver led her to a red Ferrari that was parked in front of the shop. Clark watched helplessly as they drove away. He felt as though his life was slipping away, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

oOo

Clark walked away from the street with an unbearable burden on his heart. He didn't know what he should do or where he should go. Seeing Lois with Oliver had left him completely jaded.

He knew this was not his world, and somewhere deep in his heart he firmly believed that he would find out a way to go back to his world, to his home. Yet, the very existence of this universe had shaken him to the core. He might soon be back in his universe, but how would he deal with the knowledge that in this world, he wasn't a hero? He hadn't saved any lives—he hadn't helped anyone with his abilities! On the contrary, people feared his powers; he was a menace, a villain for this city.

And he had broken Lois's heart.

He couldn't believe that his counterpart existed in this empty and horrible universe. But perhaps his disbelief came from the fact that he had lived such a different life than the Clark in this world. This Clark had never known love, happiness or trust like he had. He wished he could undo everything that Clark Luthor had done in this universe. He wished he could make Lois and everyone else see he had been sent to this planet with the promise that he would be this world's hope, this world's savior. Only, he didn't know how to do that.

He wandered aimlessly from one alley to another, lost in the labyrinth of his thoughts when his super hearing suddenly picked up on the shrill echo of an alarm going off. He immediately sped off in the direction of the sound. A man rushed out of the backdoor of the coffee shop with a bag in his hands and hurried down the narrow street before Clark appeared right in front of him. The man looked at him agape, and then a look of pure horror crossed his face and he turned around to run.

"Wait…" Clark yelled.

On hearing that, the man increased his speed and disappeared into the first alley that he came across. Clark chased him through the maze of narrow streets until they reached a closed end and the man had no choice but to come to a stop. With trembling hands he threw away the bag, his back still towards Clark.

"Please… please take the money but don't hurt me," the man cried as he dropped down on his knees and cowered against the brick wall, his eyes tightly shut.

"Why are you so afraid of me?" Clark asked as he slowly took a step towards him.

"I know what happens when someone sees your face," the man cried. "Please, I swear I will not tell anyone about you, I… I am not a thief! I have lost my job… I did this only for my children, please leave me alone, I beg you, don't hurt me."

Clark froze in his place for a moment and then Lois's byline suddenly flashed before his eyes.

_Monster. That was what Clark Luthor had become. That was what Lionel had turned him into._

The man continued to cry and beg until he heard a whooshing sound accompanied by a gust of wind. Few moments passed in utter silence before he finally gathered the courage to open his eyes and see that the street was empty. He cautiously looked around and noticed that the bag of money that he had stolen from the cash counter of the coffee shop was also gone.

He couldn't believe that Ultraman had spared him. Then suddenly his gaze fell on the ground. There was a large stone lying next to him and pressed underneath it were several dollar bills. He carefully picked up the stone and took the money in his trembling hands. Looking at the money in disbelief, he cast his gaze around the empty alley once again.

A miracle had happened in Metropolis today.

Ultraman had helped someone.

oOo

For the first time since landing in this universe, Clark felt a little better. He felt more like himself again. If only the other Clark could also spread hope and help people in this world like he tried to do in his world, he thought. It once again reminded him that Clark Luthor was still in his world. He needed to go back there, to Lois, to his friends. But how would he manage to do that?

Perhaps Jor El would help him.

Within seconds he was at the fortress, but as he stepped inside the enormous ice structure he became unsure if Jor El would give him the answers he was so desperately looking for. He didn't know if Clark Luthor even had any kind of relationship with Jor El.

"Jor El," he yelled, "I know you and I aren't on the best of terms right now but…"

His words were left in the middle as Lionel Luthor's voice filled the emptiness of the fortress.

"I'll call that an understatement."

He couldn't believe it. Lionel Luthor was here too. It seemed like he was everywhere in this universe. His mark was everywhere. It wouldn't have been possible for the other Clark to exist on his own without Lionel Luthor's influence, even for a moment. No wonder he wanted to escape to another world.

Clark quickly made his way through the ice walls until he came across a sight that chained his feet to the ground. His fortress, the place that supposedly preserved everything that belonged to his Kryptonian origins, was swarmed with all kinds of strange machines, monitors, and equipment, and in the center of it all stood Lionel Luthor on an elevated ice platform.

"Considering the extreme measures you and I took to silence him, I wouldn't be surprised if he holds a grudge against you," Lionel said, his gaze fixed on the various kinds of drawings and maps spread out on the table before him.

"Lionel what are you doing here?" Clark asked, trying to hide his disappointment.

"Surveying our progress," Lionel replied as he looked up.

"Where's your ring Clark?" Lionel's piercing stare keenly scrutinized a distracted Clark who stared at the machines and monitors around him with a look of utter confusion.

Clark blinked and looked at Lionel blankly for a moment. He didn't have a clue what ring he was talking about but he needed to come up with some explanation, and fast. There was no way he could afford to raise Lionel's suspicions at this point.

"Uh… I… I forgot it, at the office," Clark blurted out the first excuse that came to his mind.

Lionel glared at Clark and his heartbeat rose. He had no way of telling whether he had bought it or not.

"That's been happening a lot lately, isn't it?" Lionel said after a pause, his eyes still fixed on Clark's face.

There was perhaps a hint of sarcasm in there somewhere. Clark couldn't tell.

"You remember Lear son?" Lionel suddenly asked.

"Shakespeare, King Lear," he continued "…wanted to abdicate, retire. Lear had three children, he tells them he'll divide his kingdom between them…"

Lionel stepped down from the platform and walked near Clark.

"…giving the largest portion to the one who loves him most, two of the children declared their lavish devotion, the youngest, his favorite, is blunt and plain spoken, stop me if you know where this is going…"

"He disowned the child who loved him all along," Clark completed his sentence.

"Big mistake," Lionel said. "So it's just you and your sister now, there's certainly no getting Lex back, you saw to that."

"I killed Lex," Clark whispered in horror.

"No matter how much you always try to… uh, deny that," Lionel said gravely, "I really wish I could believe you, but we both know the truth son."

"I'm sure you didn't come all the way here to talk Shakespeare," Clark said, still reeling under this newest shock.

"You're right, I didn't," Lionel scoffed.

Lionel walked back to the table again and picked up a sheet of paper. He displayed the sheet in front of Clark and he was flabbergasted to see the sketch of the mirror box on it.

"I bumped into your sister and she told me you were looking for this," Lionel said. "Which is really confusing, considering the effort that Luthor Corp put into scouring the globe to find and destroy anything from Krypton,"

Clark's mind started to run in hundred different directions. He desperately needed to make Lionel believe that he was Clark Luthor, until he could get his hands on that box. He couldn't risk Lionel getting possession of that box before him, or worse, destroying it before he could get the chance to use it to go back to his world.

"I asked her to help me find it so I could destroy it," Clark replied. "I… I… just wanted to make you proud… dad."

"Thank you son," Lionel looked straight into his eyes. "So how do you plan to find it?"

"I don't know yet, but I won't stop until I've found and destroyed it," Clark replied, trying hard to keep his voice calm despite the storm that was churning inside him.

"That's my son," Lionel put his hand on his shoulder.

Clark knew that Oliver wouldn't listen to anything he said, let alone willingly hand over the box to him. There was only one way for him to obtain that box from Oliver; he had to leave him no choice but to hand it over to him. And in this world, there was only one way that he could do that. He finally reached a decision and super sped away, leaving Lionel alone in the fortress.

"My son," Lionel let out a sigh and crumbled the drawing in his hand.

oOo

Oliver stood in the balcony of the Ace of Clubs staring at an invitation in his hands. The words _"Engagement Celebration: Lois and Oliver"_ were embossed with gold letters over it. The voice of the soft music and laughter of the guests inside the hall still reached him. He let out a burdened sigh and put away the card.

Everything around was lit up and appeared beautiful, yet he felt nothing but a mind numbing silence and emptiness in his heart.

"They're waiting for us."

Lois's soft voice broke him out of the labyrinth of his thoughts. He turned around to look at her and he was stunned. She looked absolutely breathtaking in a red cocktail dress, the shining curls of her long, dark hair that drifted down her shoulders and her back. He had known her for years now yet every time he saw her she always managed to take his breath away, just like she had when he had laid eyes on her for the first time.

"Lois, you look beautiful," he said, his eyes drinking in the sight of her.

"Thank you." She walked near him, a soft smile on her lips.

"Lois, can I… uh, can I ask you something?" he looked away from her and fixed his gaze on the glittering Metropolis skyline in front of them.

"Yes," she replied as she stopped next to him.

"Why me?" he asked.

She looked at him, surprised.

"Why me Lois?" he looked at her and repeated his question.

"Because you are a very, very good man," she replied as her fingers gently touched his cheek.

"You know when I look at you, I feel as though you're… there's hollowness inside of you," Oliver said.

"Oliver, I wouldn't have said yes if I didn't want to marry you," Lois said firmly.

"I'm not saying that you don't want to marry me," Oliver said with a small laugh. "No force in the universe can make Lois Lane do something that she doesn't want to do, right?"

"Damn right," she chuckled.

"Still," he suddenly began to feel an unbearable burden on his heart, "I feel as if you wouldn't have married me if…"

He looked at her and felt as if he couldn't tear away his gaze. She looked so serene and lovely. The engagement ring he had given her shined on her finger, assuring him that she would soon be his. Yet something in his heart told him that she could never be his.

"If what?" she asked.

Oliver's gaze wandered away from her face once again because he couldn't find the courage to look straight into her eyes.

"If things hadn't fallen apart between you and Clark…" he finally managed to say.

Lois let out a low sigh and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened her eyes, Oliver was looking at her.

"Ollie, do you still really feel that Clark is a threat?" she asked, "He's a part of my past, a distant past, and no, I'm not going to run away from the altar because of Clark, I don't love…"

She couldn't complete her sentence. She couldn't say 'I don't love him' because her heart told her that it was not the truth. She quickly bit her bottom lip and looked away from Oliver, well aware that his eyes were still fixed on her face. He could read her. He could see her helplessness and her weakness. She suddenly started to feel exposed and vulnerable, even though Oliver already knew all her secrets, even though he already knew what had happened between her and Clark.

"Oliver I know the truth about him," she said softly, "I know who he is, what he does, what he has done to me, to Perry, to the Daily Planet, to this city, there's no way I'm ever going to choose him over you."

She felt as if she was trying to convince herself more than Oliver.

"Except that this is not about who is the better person Lois," Oliver said, glaring at the palm of his hands, as if trying to read his own fate.

"Then what is it about?" Lois asked.

"You know," Oliver said in a matter-of-fact tone, his eyes travelled back to her face.

_Yes, I know, she wanted to scream._

She wanted to tell him that she knew exactly what he was talking about, that they both knew that she would never be able to get over her love for Clark, no matter how much she tried to deny it, no matter how much she pretended to hate him. She wanted to hate him, but hidden deep beneath all her anger and contempt was her love. That twisted, insane love that made no sense at all, yet she was unable to leave it behind and move on. That pain had become a part of her very existence now, almost like a malignancy that could neither be cured nor completely ignored.

It had been three years since she had found out the truth behind the façade that Clark Luthor had once put on in front of her. The truth had shattered her, she had told him that she hated him and she had walked out of his life. His shadow had haunted her since then, and recently he had returned in her life by taking over the Daily Planet. He had made life hell for her, and yet she couldn't bring herself to forget what once existed between them. Oliver could see the pain in her eyes and he cursed himself for bringing up Clark.

"I'm sorry," he softly said and tangled his fingers into hers, pulling her closer. "I just want to keep you safe Lois, and I want to make you happy."

"You will," she smiled as she looked at him. He could swear there was a glint of tears in her beautiful eyes.

He leaned in and softly kissed her.

"I love you," he whispered as their lips parted.

As always, she didn't reply. She didn't say 'I love you too'. He was fully aware of the truth that she didn't love him. Not like he wanted her to. She never could. Yet he loved her so much that he could settle for her only ever having friendly feelings for him. That's all he wanted from her and he was thankful that she had allowed him to be in her life. Besides, he knew that it was the only way he could keep her safe and protected from this world and from her own past.

Suddenly he heard a whooshing sound and then it was as if a hurricane suddenly enveloped them and took Lois with it. Before Oliver could even blink everything was upside down and Lois was gone. She had been taken away from his arms. Oliver looked around, baffled and horrified.

"Lois… Lois…" he yelled hysterically.

He was about to run outside when his cell phone rang.

"Lois… Lois, are you safe?" he yelled on the phone.

"She will be on one condition," he heard Clark's chilling voice from the other end. "There's an antique, a mirror box in your possession, your family stole it from the Luthors, and I want it back."

"I swear to God if you so much as touch…" Oliver's voice trembled with anger.

"You've got ten minutes. Text the location."

The call was disconnected before Oliver could speak another word.

oOo

Lois couldn't understand what happened to her. One moment it felt as though she was carried away by a whirlwind and before she could even blink, she found herself on the roof of Daily Planet, standing underneath the twirling, glowing globe of the newspaper that once used to be the center of her aspirations and ambitions. She looked around in utter confusion for a moment before she suddenly realized that the only person who was capable of doing this was who she had dubbed the mystery monster of Metropolis.

_Ultraman._

Panicked, she ran towards the door and tried to pull it open. Her fear spiked when she realized it was locked.

"Lois."

Her hands froze on the handle of the door on hearing the one voice that she would recognize anywhere. She turned around to look at the man who stepped out of the shadows.

"Oh God… you're Ultraman," she whispered in horror.

"Lois, listen to me," Clark took a cautious step towards her.

"Stay away from me," she yelled as she ran away from the door and picked up a rusty pipe from the ground.

"Someone help me," she shattered the glass of one of the windows with the pipe. "Please someone help me!"

"Lois, please listen to me," Clark tried to make her stop but she continued to step back, terrified.

He knew it wasn't Clark Kent she was afraid of, but it hurt to see her look at him with such fear.

"So that's how Clark Luthor wipes out his competition. The mysterious fires, the unexplainable plane crashes, the sudden bankruptcies that pave way for one hostile takeover after another by Luthor Corp," she said savagely, her fear giving way to anger. "It all makes sense now, I always suspected that Ultraman's remote control was in your hands but…"

"Lois please, just listen to me," Clark said, "There's something really important that I need you to know…"

"I know why you're doing all this Clark," she said resentfully. "It hurts your ego doesn't it? Knowing that I'm happy, that I've found someone and that I got over you? What are you gonna do kill me?"

Clark's heart broke for what felt like the hundredth time since he had woken up. He had never seen her so angry and broken. She burned with fury yet he could see the heartbreak on her face. He could feel that there was a part of her that was scared, yet she hid it beneath her anger. She continued to inch towards the corner of the roof and he suddenly feared that she might even jump, just to get away from him. Just the thought of it ran a shiver down his spine and he suddenly grabbed her by her arms.

"Let go of me!" Her entire body trembled in rage as she struggled to free herself, but his grip on her arms got tighter, until he was firmly holding her against his chest.

He looked at her face in the light of the Daily Planet globe and felt even worse. Tears were running along her cheeks and her mascara had spread on the corners of her eyes.

"Lois, I'm not from this universe. I'm from another world, an alternate world, and my name is Clark Kent, I'm… I'm not Clark Luthor," he uttered in desperation.

"Stop it Clark," she strived to free herself in vain. "You can't make me trust you again no matter how many crazy stories you spin."

"Lois, this isn't some story—I'm not from this world. I… I wish I had the time to tell you how and why but the only thing I can tell you right now, is that while I am here, Clark Luthor, the Clark you know, he's in my world," he almost pleaded.

For the first time since he had seen her, he felt as if she was willing to listen to what he had to say. She stopped struggling and simply stared at him.

"I'm not him Lois," he whispered softly, looking into her swollen and red eyes. "I am telling you the truth, please you have to trust me. You...you're the only person that I can count on."

Very slowly, he loosened his grip on her and freed her. She stepped back, looking at him up and down. There was something about the way he spoke, so calmly and gently. There was definitely something different about him. His eyes held compassion and warmth, as opposed to the anger and conceit she remembered always seeing in her Clark's eyes. Suddenly she noticed something that astonished her. She hesitatingly touched the wrist of his right hand and ran her fingers over it, as if searching for something.

"Your… your scar, it's gone," she looked up and met his gaze, confused.

"It's because I'm not him," he said softly, his eyes fixed on her face.

"I'm sorry that he isn't what you would have wanted him to be," he said after a pause.

"How would you know that?" she choked on her tears.

"Because I know you, Lois. Because I can see that in this world too, you're no different than the Lois I know from my world, you stand for truth and for everything that is right and just," he said. "Where I come from, you're my ally, you work side by side with me, you're proud of me," he said.

"Where… how?" There was something in her heart that told her that he was telling the truth.

"I brought you here because Ollie has something that can help me go back to my world. I am really sorry that I made you go through all this but I didn't have a choice," Clark said earnestly. "I need to go back to my world, Lois. I can't live in a world where you don't love me."

She looked away from him as fresh tears left her eyes and trickled down her cheeks.

"You hate him don't you?" he asked.

"I wish I could," she whispered, her teeth gritted as if she hated herself for being so weak.

"Lois, look at me," he tangled his fingers in hers.

"Is there a world where you and I are happy?" she asked as her eyes met his.

"Yes there is Lois," he said firmly. "And in that world, you're my strength, you make me believe in myself and when I'm lost, you're the one who gives me hope. Do you get what I'm trying to tell you Lois?"

"Clark Luthor isn't you, and my world can never be like your world," she replied quietly.

"Seeing the world that he lives in, it isn't hard for me to understand what he must have done, but I can't just leave you here knowing that you'll be without love… without my love. I don't want you to give up hope, because you're the strongest woman I've ever known, and that's true for any universe not just mine," Clark said softly.

Lois didn't reply.

"Please tell me that you won't give up," Clark said.

He didn't even know whether Clark Luthor had any good left in him or not. He didn't even know about all the dark things that he had done on this side of the world. Yet he couldn't imagine existing without the morals his parents had raised him to value, his sense of right and wrong, or his ability to help people and use his powers for good. Clark Luthor may have been corrupted by Lionel Luthor but that didn't mean there was no hope for him. He needed to find that goodness that had been instilled in him by Jor El and Lara when they had sent him here.

And the only person who could possibly help him on that path was standing right in front of him.

"I'll try," Lois finally replied.

A small smile appeared on his lips. For the first time he had finally found a real glimpse of hope in this world, and it didn't surprise him that it came from the one woman who always gave him hope in his world. He super sped away and that was the last he saw of this world's Lois. What he didn't know was that for the first time in a very long time, he had filled her heart with a new determination.

oOo

Clark entered the tallest building in the city and sped to the top floor. It was ironic that Oliver had texted him the address of this place for their meeting. Back home it was the Watchtower, the headquarters of his and Ollie's team, the place where they gathered and tried to save the world on a daily basis.

He pushed the double doors and entered the dark and deserted hall. This place was nothing like the Watchtower he knew. The air was filled with a nauseating odor of grease and the floor was littered with empty cartons and pieces of old newspapers. A thick layer of dust rested on everything. The place looked filthy, almost condemned. The only familiar thing was the stained glass window that was still there, filling the room with a dull light.

"Oliver," Clark's voice echoed in the hall.

"So Clark Luthor is the mysterious Ultraman in Metropolis."

Clark immediately looked up, in the direction of Oliver's voice. He stood at the balcony, glaring down at Clark.

"That name sucks by the way. Did it look good on paper?" he added sarcastically.

"Please, just give me the mirror box. I'll bring Lois back," Clark said, "and I'll be out of your way,"

"I'll save you the trouble. My eyes in the sky already confirmed that Lois is safe," Oliver descended down the spiraled stairs, "and I don't know a thing about your box."

"Then why did you bring me here?" Clark asked, realizing suddenly that Tess had lied to him about Ollie having it in his possession.

"Because I've been waiting for years to get Ultraman face to face like this," Oliver replied. "And now I get to kill two birds with one stone."

Oliver pressed a button on a small remote control in his hands and a wall of green Kryptonite suddenly covered the stained glass window of the Watchtower. The room filled with a sickening green glow and a sharp pain immediately coursed through Clark's body. His struggle to stay on his feet quickly failed and he fell on the ground helplessly.

"Is something wrong?" Oliver asked as he stopped in front of Clark, who lay on the floor in immense pain, his body curled in a fetal position.

"I've been hunting Ultraman since he murdered the Swanns, that's how I found out what hurts you," Oliver walked over to a table, opened a small metal case and took out a gun.

"I need to go back, this isn't my world," Clark uttered breathlessly. "Lionel's son, your enemy, he's on the other side, everyone I know… everyone I love is in danger. Lois isn't safe, none of you are,"

"He's a maniac and he's delusional," muttered Oliver as he tilted his head and continued to load the gun.

"Oliver, please listen to me, I know it's hard for you to trust me. You've only known Clark Luthor and I know what he has done, but…"

"Seriously Luthor?" Oliver walked over Clark's head with his gun. "You honestly think that you'll make up these insane stories and I'll just let you walk away? No, I've been waiting for this day for years, I've got a mousetrap set up for your rat's ass in every major city."

"That box, it brought me here and transported Clark Luthor into my world, please I need to go back," Clark pleaded, becoming more and more exhausted and weak with each passing moment.

Oliver bent down and looked at Clark's sweat covered face.

"You couldn't lure Lois back into your trap so you just decided to take her away from me," Oliver whispered sharply.

Just then, his cell phone rang. He took out his phone and looked at the caller ID.

"Lois, what is it?" he got up and walked away from Clark.

"Ollie, where are you?" Lois was out of breath.

"Don't worry Lois, I've got Clark," Oliver said, "He won't be able to hurt you or anyone else again,"

"No… no… Ollie, please don't hurt him," Lois uttered in panic. "He's not who you think he is!"

"Really Lois? You're still trying to save him after everything that he made you go through. What happened to never trusting him again?" Oliver asked angrily.

"Ollie, he's not Clark Luthor, his name is Clark Kent, he's not from this… he's not from our universe, I don't know how it happened, but you've got to trust me, it's not him," Lois tried hard to explain.

Oliver turned around and glanced at Clark who was still helpless on the ground.

"You need to let him go," Lois pleaded.

"I'm sorry Lois, I can't do that," Oliver said in a firm, almost cold voice.

Before Lois could say anything, he disconnected the call and pointed the gun at Clark's head.

"You may have fooled Lois once again but you can't fool me," he said. "With everything you can do, with everything you could have done, everything we could have accomplished as a team… it's a shame really that we have to come to this,"

"Ollie, you're not a murderer," Clark said in a weak, almost inaudible voice.

"No," Oliver shook his head, "But you are,"

Oliver was about to pull the trigger when someone hit him across the head with full force and he fell on the ground, unconscious. Clark looked up and saw Lionel standing behind him, holding a metal pipe in his hand. He threw it away and looked at Clark.

"You didn't have to hurt him to save me," Clark winced, finding it difficult to bear the pain that surged through his veins like a high voltage of electricity.

"What? Save you?" Lionel scoffed as he took off his gloves and walked towards the table. "So what was the plan? Murder your father and then escape to another world?"

"I should've known I was walking into a trap," Clark said while he turned onto his back with difficulty.

"I've kept constant watch on Oliver's activities, you should have known that I would do that," Lionel said as he took off his coat.

"Oliver never had the mirror box did he?" Clark asked.

"You mean this?" Lionel flashed the mirror box in front of Clark, "No, I had found this a long time ago, a little detail that your sister forgot to mention to you."

"_I'm not as useless as dad thinks I am."_

Tess's words suddenly echoed in Clark's ears.

_Of course._

That was her way of showing Lionel that she was the most loyal and devoted one. It was her way of beating Clark in this game. Ironically, Lionel was the one who had warned him about her. For the first time Clark realized what it would have been like for Lex to grow up under Lionel's thumb. Everything and everyone was twisted in the Luthors' world. In this world Lionel was no different, perhaps even more malevolent with Clark's powers at his disposal.

"I warned you Clark, but still you chose to put your trust in the wrong person," Lionel said, taking off his coat, "Really disappointing, because I thought I had taught you better, son."

Lionel rolled up his sleeves and walked in front of Clark.

"But it serves you right doesn't it? Betraying your own father? The man who raised you, who made your destiny his preoccupation," he said.

The pain caused by the meteor rocks increased every minute and Clark felt as if he wouldn't be able to take it any longer.

"We're long overdue for a father-son talk," Lionel said.

"I'm not your son," Clark hissed through gritted teeth, a feeling of anger and disgust suddenly took over him.

"No you never were, were you?" Lionel said angrily, "I lost Lex, I lost my own son, because of you…"

"It wasn't me," Clark said.

Lionel kicked him in the stomach and Clark felt blood dripping from his mouth.

A few feet away, Oliver was gaining consciousness, and the first thing that he felt was the sharp pain on the side of his head, followed by the jarring echo of Lionel's voice that filled the room.

"No, it wasn't you Clark," Lionel said. "I killed Lex when I saw that he would stand in your way, when I realized that he wouldn't let you take over Luthor Corp and turn it into the empire that I had dreamed of. I sacrificed my own son, my flesh and blood for you and you…"

"You put Lex's murder on his head," Clark whispered angrily.

"I made you what you are… and this is how you've repaid me," Lionel hit Clark again and sent his limp body sliding across the floor. Lionel took out his belt and wrapped it around his palm.

"I wiped out every member of the Veritas so that they could never become a threat to you," Lionel said as he walked near Clark, "But the truth is that I have failed you son."

"Because no true son of mine, no true Luthor would have let me live this long!" Lionel bellowed and started to beat him with his belt.

"It wasn't my choice," Clark said in a broken voice, feeling more blood dripping out of his mouth. The agonizing pain caused by the meteor rocks had now intensified to unbearable proportions with torture Lionel was inflicting upon him.

"You're right. You couldn't dare to, because I made you fear me, because I made you do what I said I would. I kept a constant eye on you, so that you won't stray," Lionel panted breathlessly but his hand never stopped as he continued to beat Clark. "That's why you've turned against me haven't you? But you didn't realize that I did it so that I could turn you into the son that I dreamed of, the son that I could never have had in Lex…"

"I've been so wrong about you," Lionel yelled in anger. "You were never my son, you were always Jor El's son, and you eventually proved that,"

"You used him for your own sick motives," Clark's voice was filled with anger and disgust but his words fell on deaf ears as Lionel continued to beat him mercilessly.

Somehow Clark felt that this wasn't the first time he was doing this to him. He realized that Clark Luthor had suffered this fate many times in this world. And now he was the one who was going to die in his place, in this warped and perverse universe in the hands of this sadistic monster.

"I should've known that it would never work, that with all my attempts of trying to turn you into a Luthor, you'd still be a freak, an alien."

Oliver finally managed to reach the remote and pressed a button on it. The green Kryptonite shield instantly disappeared and sunlight entered through the stained glass window, filling the room with a dull glow.

Lionel turned around and his eyes widened in shock and horror. He tried to reach for the remote in Oliver's hand but Clark managed to speed in front of him.

"Sorry I didn't become the son you wanted… dad," Clark said sarcastically, flashing the mirror box in front of him before he sent him flying across the hall.

Clark reached Oliver and knelt down next to him.

"Oliver…" Clark helped him get up from the floor.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, you're the good one," Oliver waved his hand in front of him, "Just go the hell home already will you."

"Oliver, the other Clark will appear in my place, I don't know if he'll be here or someplace else, but you'll need the meteor rocks to protect yourself… and Lois," Clark said.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Oliver looked at Clark's face, as if trying hard to believe that he really was someone different.

"You said that you wished we could be a team," Clark replied. "Where I come from, we are a team Ollie, and we save the world together."

Oliver looked at him without blinking. He still couldn't believe that there was a universe out there where Clark was a good man, a hero.

"Oliver, I hope that this world will someday be like the world I live in," Clark said before he got up from the floor.

He flipped the mirror box and felt as if he was falling into a vacuum. Within a second, he found himself back in his world.

oOo

"Nighty night," Oliver said as he charged towards Clark.

For a moment, Clark couldn't believe that he was back, and then he quickly realized that he was in the familiar surroundings of Watchtower. Except that it appeared less like their headquarters and more like a battleground. Lois, Tess and Oliver surrounded him with arrows and guns, looking battered and exhausted.

"I'm me," Clark quickly raised his hands as he looked from Oliver to Tess.

Oliver and Tess gave Clark a skeptical look and his eyes instantly went to Lois who aimed the compound bow at him. He could see the anger and hesitation on her face.

"Lois, please…" Clark pleaded as Lois tilted her head and looked at him skeptically, "Tell them… I'm me."

Their eyes met only for a moment and Lois's gaze softened. She could see the warmth and love that his eyes always held for her. He looked at her, desperately wanting her to believe him. He had faith that she wouldn't fail him, that she would be the one who would know in an instant that he was telling her the truth. They continued to stare at each other for a few seconds before Lois lowered the Kryptonite lined weapon.

"Lois, don't trust him, he's lying," Tess warned, her gun aimed at Clark's head, but Lois quickly lowered the arrow.

"Stop… stop," Lois frantically yelled as she ran towards him.

She pushed away the green Kryptonite arrow in Oliver's hand out of the way as she knelt down in front of Clark, over the debris of the destroyed Watchtower. She blinked several times, as if still trying to believe that he was back.

"It's him," she said, her voice almost breaking. Her heartbeat had risen to a point where she could hear it drumming in her ears. Her Clark was back.

"It's me," he pulled her into her arms and held her tightly, as though he feared that someone would take her away from him and he would suddenly wake up and realize that this moment was a dream and he was back into that nightmare of a universe.

He slowly pulled away from her and held her face in his hands, looking at her without blinking. Lois imitated his gesture and held his face in her hands. For a moment, it was as if they had completely forgotten that there were others in the room, they had completely forgotten where they were, what was going on around them. They simply stared at each other, tears gathering in the corners of their eyes as they assured themselves that they had found each other again.

And then he lost all control over his emotions as his lips crashed on hers and he kissed her furiously. The fear of losing her, of living in a world where she hated him and existing in a hollow universe where she didn't belong to him suddenly came to surface as his mouth captured hers and he poured all his love into that kiss. She put her hands around his neck and kissed him back. The world had come to a halt around them.

"I love you," he whispered breathlessly as their lips reluctantly parted. "I missed you so much."

"I love you too," she rested her forehead against his and closed her eyes, relieved.

"Guess you really are back then huh," Oliver remarked.

Lois and Clark quickly pulled away from each other, embarrassed at the reminder that they were not alone. Clark got up from the floor, pulling Lois along with him as he glanced around what was left of Watchtower.

"What the hell did he do?" he asked, horrified at the sight before him.

"Really long story," Oliver said dryly. "But uh… from now on could you please think it over like a zillion times before you decide to touch any unsuspected objects with Kryptonian symbols on it?"

Clark nodded and a small smile appeared on his lips.

"I'm sorry that he made you guys went through all this," his apologized, his hand instinctively pulled Lois closer to him. Then his gaze fell on Tess who stood silently behind Oliver.

_Tess Luthor!_

The two words echoed in his ears. Their eyes met for a moment before she looked away guiltily.

**Continued…**


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

Clark had no idea what happened. One minute he stood in the research lab of the Luthor Corp's fertilizer plant in Smallville, looking at the production sheets from the latest batch, and in the next, he felt as if his body was sucked into a vacuum, flying through a dark and hollow abyss. Before he could make sense out of what was going on, his feet touched the ground and he found himself standing in an alleyway.

"Jor El," he mumbled and rolled his eyes.

He was probably having one of those weird visions or hallucinations again, courtesy of his birth father. He just couldn't believe it. After everything he and his dad had done to silence his voice, Jor El still didn't seem ready to give up. For someone who was already dead, he had one hell of a determination.

Bored, he eyed his surroundings until his eyes fell on a wall in front of him. He was only slightly surprised to see the "S" shaped crest of his Kryptonian family burnt on it.

_This was Jor El's doing indeed._

He glared at the wall for a few moments and then his eyes traveled down to the 'L' shaped scar on his right wrist. It was the family crest of Luthors that Lex had tattooed on his wrist with the help of gold Kryptonite. Lex's memory instantaneously brought a sting of regret with it and he started to feel a burden on his heart. It was rare for him to feel that way. He never allowed emotions to take over him, yet there were some things in his life that always managed to break his resolve and bring those petty feelings on surface.

_Lex's memory was one of them._

He wished he could just forget his brother, yet he couldn't. Lex had made sure that he would never be able to do that. The scar on his wrist was a constant reminder of how their strong bond as brothers had shattered like a broken glass. It also brought to surface all the memories of the childhood they had shared together. No matter how much he kept telling himself that he needed to get over it, an unknown feeling of remorse always strongly took over him whenever he thought about Lex.

He shook himself out of the labyrinth of his thoughts and super speeded out of the alley. Somehow he had been transported to Metropolis, the same city that he lived in, the city that he practically owned, yet today, it looked completely different. Everything seemed so bright, full of life and colorful. People seemed really happy, content and free, as if there was someone watching over them, protecting them.

As he wandered down the pavement, he noticed that the Luthor Corp banners, displays, ads and tickers that were supposed to cover every corner and every wall of the city were missing. More alarmingly, his 'U' shaped symbol, his seal that reminded the people of Metropolis everyday that he owned their lives, was replaced by the Kryptonian 'S' shaped shield and was present on almost every street and corner. Jor El had paid keen attention to details as always, he inwardly rolled his eyes.

He came across a newsstand around the corner and picked up the latest edition of the Daily Planet. The headline on the front page instantly had him intrigued.

"_The Blur saves the day once again"_

Underneath the headline was the picture of his "S" shaped Kryptonian crest, burning brightly on the ground. Now he became certain that this dream or hallucination was Jor El's creation. It was another one of his birth father's wretched efforts of _'making him see what he was supposed to do with his gifts and fulfill his destiny on this Earth'_.

He casually ran his eyes over the story. Apparently this 'Blur' had prevented a plane crash and saved the crew and 300 passengers from certain death. He was about to put away the paper when his eyes suddenly caught the name of the reporter underneath the byline.

_By Lois Lane._

So not only was this 'Blur' a savior and a hero for the people of Metropolis, he had also accomplished the impossible task of turning Lois Lane into a raving fan. Now that was indeed impressive, even he had to admit.

He had no clue what gimmick did Jor El have in store for him this time. He finally decided that he needed some scotch in his system to help him think straight so he dashed to the Daily Planet.

oOo

Clark entered the Daily Planet building and walked straight towards the elevator. At least here at his office, everything seemed to be pretty normal. The foyer and the stairs were crowded with people as always. His employees were going about their business as usual.

"Hey Kent," a young man stepped out of the elevator and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

Clark obliquely looked down at his shoulder and his eyes came up and he gave the guy a death glare. Was he blind or drunk or something? He had fired people for lesser offences than to allow someone to mistake him for someone else. He almost grabbed him by his collar in order to throw him against the wall but his hand stopped mid air as he suddenly remembered that this was supposedly a dream or a hallucination. He really needed to understand his surroundings before reacting to anything. To beat Jor El at his own game, it was imperative to make sense out of it first.

"Kent, you okay?" the young man looked at Clark, confused.

Clark ignored him and pressed the button for the elevator. The guy blinked and glared at Clark for a moment as if he had grown two heads. When he realized that Clark didn't even seem to acknowledge him, he shrugged and disappeared round the corner. Meanwhile the elevator door opened and Clark stepped inside.

"Morning Clark," a tall guy who stood in the elevator greeted cheerfully, "So your girlfriend managed to land the big headline again?"

"Girlfriend," Clark quirked his eyebrow and gave him a ludicrous glance, momentarily ignoring his audacious try at being on first name basis with him.

"But I guess you're used to living under Lois Lane's shadow by now huh," he shrugged.

_Lois Lane was his girlfriend!_

Clark chuckled at the mere thought of that. At least something was good about this weird dream.

"Oh and by the way, that article you wrote on the preservation of the archeological treasures, it was worth a read, at least Tess won't eat you alive in the monthly review meeting," the man teased, grinning ear to ear.

Clark ignored most of his gibberish but the mention of Tess's name caught his attention. Since when was Tess at the helm of affairs in his office?

Suddenly the pieces fell into place.

_Off course. The mirror box._

Tess must have found it and transported them into some alternate version of their world. There couldn't possibly be another explanation for why people were addressing him by a different name. In this world he was probably known as Kent, as absurd as it sounded.

_So it wasn't a dream or hallucination after all! And Lois Lane was his girlfriend in this world!_

He sniggered once again at that. This had already started to sound a lot of fun. Being with Lois was the one part of his past that he'd love to relive again. It amused him to think that she dated him, or rather his counterpart in this universe. The irony was simply perfect. Now all he needed to do was to find Lois but before that, he needed to take care of his little stepsister.

oOo

Meeting with Tess had brought more surprises than he had thought.

"_Lionel Luthor has been dead for years,"_

He still couldn't believe it. His adoptive father was dead. He was in a world where Lionel Luthor wasn't there to control and influence him, to constantly keep an eye on him, to command not just his actions but even his thoughts. He was free – he could do whatever he wanted.

"_Lex killed him,"_

When Tess had revealed that, the one thing that Clark had desperately wanted was to hear her say that Lex was alive.

"_Is Lex alive?" he had asked._

"_He's believed to be dead," she had revealed._

Which could still mean that he was alive, perhaps in hiding? He had resolved in that very moment that would find Lex in this world no matter what it would take. How he longed to see him again, to hear his voice, to tell him that he hadn't taken his life. Lex had died thinking that he killed him, how desperately he wanted a chance to tell him that he hadn't. It was an accident.

His blood boiled on the way Tess had transported them in this world without his knowledge. However, he hadn't even shown a slightest glimpse of anger on his face. He first needed to get his hands on the mirror box, then he would decide how he was going to deal with her impudence. Besides, Tess wasn't trustworthy enough to be left with something so dangerous, something that she could use to send him back to Lionel's world.

"_We destroy the box, we destroy any chance of being sent back there, and this world would be ours," he had told her._

Off course he had no intention of giving Tess any share in his glory, and in the empire that he would build in this world after what she had done, but that wasn't something he was ready to tell her yet.

"_You're going straight to the mansion right?" she had asked in a cautious, almost scared tone._

He still didn't understand why she seemed so surprised to see him, as if she wasn't expecting to see him.

"_Yeah…, after I've paid a visit to one of my old… friends," he had replied._

"_Who?" _

"_Lois Lane, apparently she's still my girlfriend in this world," he wasn't able to help the grin that formed on his lips with the very mention of her name._

"_I… I don't think that's a good idea," Tess had sounded almost panicked, "Uh… I mean… we can't afford to make anyone suspicious right now." _

"_Still jealous of her aren't you?" he had teased her, "Don't worry, I'll come back for you." _

He stepped out of the elevator at the basement and strolled into the bullpen. This was the first time he'd ever been to the basement of this building. Everyone was going about their day to day work and no one looked even slightly surprised to see him there. He remembered that in this universe, it was probably a routine for these people to see him everyday. Here, he wasn't the owner of this newspaper, just another employee.

He looked around the newsroom to find Lois until a nameplate on one of the desks caught his attention. He walked near the desk and picked it up.

"Clark Kent," he mumbled, looking at it strangely.

He put down the nameplate and his gaze fell on a framed photo on the desk. It was him in the photo, or rather, his counterpart, Clark Kent. He looked so completely different in that black jacket, plaid shirt and a pair of faded jeans. He stood on the porch of a house, and Lois was snuggled close to him. His arms were wrapped around her and her hands rested on his chest. They were looking at the camera, with huge smiles on their lips, looking genuinely happy.

He couldn't remember ever being this happy with his Lois during their brief relationship. It was the only 'real' _relationship _that he ever had, the one with that _boyfriend-girlfriend_ status and all. And then everything had fallen apart when Lois learned some things about him that he had carefully kept hidden from her. She had walked out of his life and he had superciliously told her that it was her loss, not his.

Yet no matter how much he tried to forget about Lois, the truth was that he had actually never gotten over her. He knew that she was now seeing Oliver Queen and while he pretended that he didn't give a damn about it, in truth, he was hurt, and angry. He wanted her back in his life, except that she didn't even like to see his face anymore.

But all of that was about to change. Now he was in a world where Lois Lane dated him, and she seemed very happy to be doing that. His eyes fell on another nameplate across the desk, resting over a pile of box files. He walked over to the cluttered desk and picked up the nameplate with the words _"Lois Lane"_ engraved on it.

He stared at the nameplate for a moment, until its owner's voice brought him out of the labyrinth of his thoughts.

"Hey…" she stormed towards her desk, dumped her huge back on her empty seat and let out a huge sigh of exasperation.

"Hi…" he looked up, surprised for a moment as she suddenly appeared before him.

He simply devoured her with his eyes. She looked as beautiful and ridiculously sexy as his world's Lois in that black skirt and skin-fitted, light pink blouse, with her hair neatly tied up in a ponytail.

"Lois…" a smile unknowingly found its way on his lips and he took a step towards her.

"Don't even ask Smallville," she quickly stopped him by putting a hand on his chest, "You know, I would never have thought in a million years that interviewing the mayor would prove to be the more difficult than landing an interview with the Dalai Lama…"

She abruptly started rummaging through a pile of papers on her desk.

"The day just got off on a wrong foot… first, I got a flat tire and then…"

He couldn't take it any longer. He simply grabbed her arm, turned her around and his lips crashed over hers. He'd been suffering for too long. He had been craving for her touch for too long. It seemed like ages since he had taken her in his arms, devoured her mouth, and kissed those voluptuous lips of hers.

She was taken by surprise at this sudden display of intimacy in the center of a crowded bullpen. They had decided to keep their professional lives strictly professional, and even though they'd had their moments when they had broken those rules, it was usually in the copier room, or in the late hours when no one was around. She heard the mumbles, groans and whispers around them and she could almost feel several bemused as well as offended glances on them.

"Clark, hey…" she pulled away, breathing heavily. Her cheeks had turned crimson in embarrassment. "What's gotten into you?"

"It's been so long since we've done this Lois," he whispered breathlessly.

"Really?" she asked playfully and glanced at him with a quirked eyebrow before she walked around him and picked up a folder from her desk. "Then who is the guy I wake up next to every morning?"

"Speaking of which, where'd you disappeared to last night?" she turned around on her heel, "I was waiting to give you a hero's welcome you know… after that airplane save yesterday," she whispered the last words and then bit her bottom lip.

_Airplane save!_

_Off course. Clark Kent was the Blur._

So apparently his counterpart in this world worked in a basement, and used his powers to save the lives of complete strangers. Jor El must be really proud of him, Clark inwardly rolled his eyes.

His attention quickly came back to Lois, who stood right in front of him, looking utterly and completely sexy now that her lips were slightly swollen from his kiss. All he wanted to super speed her out of there and then have wild sex with her until she begged for mercy. He wanted her now, more intensely than ever.

She had started to babble again, something about how she couldn't find a cab and how the mayor made her wait for an hour. But he couldn't focus on her words, not when his mind was so completely occupied with the way she looked, the way she moved and the way her blouse highlighted all the right curves of her body.

He almost used his x-ray vision to sneak a peak through her clothes but then he stopped himself. It would be a much better tease to have her undress for him than to do that, he grinned with the mere thought. While he was lost in his daydreams, she picked up some papers from the desk and disappeared into the copier room.

She was putting the papers in the copier when he swaggered into room and closed the door behind him.

"Smallville, why are you still here?" she asked, "Didn't you have an interview scheduled with the DA today?"

"I cancelled it," he replied quickly.

"Why the hell?" she was astonished.

"Because…" he rolled his eyes.

She opened her mouth to say something but he captured her lips with his and silenced her with a kiss. He kissed her hungrily, almost savagely, his mouth opened and slanted over hers again and again. His fingers ran into her hair and loosened her ponytail, letting her hair fall on her shoulders. She had tortured him for so long. He saw her everyday at the bullpen of the newspaper that he owned. He called her in his office for one reason or another. He tried to engage her in arguments, provoke her wrath, anything to awaken those feelings that she kept buried inside her heart, but she was one determined woman, his Lois, just like this one.

Lois kissed him back at first, until she suddenly began to feel that there was something different about him today. A taste of wine mixed with mint lingered in his mouth, and his kiss was almost… animalistic. His tongue filled her mouth and tangled with hers, he thrust into her throat and back, impatiently, trying to dominate her and demanding submission. The love, the tenderness that he always poured into her was gone, and replaced by it was something wild and uninhabited. She tried to pull away but he didn't let her.

He grabbed the papers from her hand and threw them away before he pushed her against the wall, his lips never letting go of hers. She tried to break away but he captured her lower lip between his teeth, preventing her from doing so.

She tried to push him away with her hands but that too, proved to be a futile attempt as he tangled his fingers in hers and pinned her hands to the wall.

She was alarmed now, gradually becoming aware that this man, who was furiously kissing her right now, was not Clark, at least not the Clark she knew. As the smell of his unfamiliar cologne filled her nostrils, she realized that even his scent was different, his clothes were different. Clark doesn't even own a dark purple dress shirt, her mind suddenly screamed.

He finally freed her mouth and his lips impatiently started to leave a trial of wet kisses down her neck.

"Clark… Clark, please stop," she whispered breathlessly.

"Why?" he asked, as if she had asked him to do something really silly.

"We are at work," she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

His teeth that were now tugging at her blouse suddenly stopped and he looked up at her face. Lois met his eyes and for the first time she realized that something was completely off with him. The same pair of insanely beautiful green eyes gazing were at her, but the love, the warmth that she was used to see in them wasn't there. There was nothing in there except for lust, as if she were merely an object that he desired, that he wished to possess.

Suddenly, she remembered him telling her about Red Kryptonite. She quickly looked at his fingers from the corner of her eye. There was a ring on his pinkie finger, but it just had a purple stone in the center, without any trace of red. Her eyes came back to his face. He was simply staring at her, amused.

"So how about we get out of this place and then you give me that hero's welcome… hmm?" he asked in a low, seductive voice.

"All right," she nodded hesitantly, "Let me… let me grab some papers from the copier, I am going to need them for my article,"

He let out a sigh. He could just have grabbed her and flew her out of there, but for some reason he couldn't deny her. He abruptly freed her from his grip and stepped back. Just then her cell phone rang. She took it out from her pocket and instantly rolled her eyes on seeing the caller ID. Tess had been pestering her for the last ten minutes, non stop. She really didn't know when to give up.

"Uh, I… I need to take this call, give me a minute," she said to Clark, eyeing him cautiously.

Without giving him a chance to reply, she stepped outside the copier room and took the call.

"What is it Tess?" she asked, agitated.

"Lane, when will you learn that when I call you, it's for a reason," Tess sounded extremely annoyed, "I want you at the Watchtower right now,"

"Why?" Lois asked.

"It's Clark," Tess replied.

"What about Clark?" Lois whispered as her eyes widened with realization. If Tess had called her about Clark, it could mean only one thing – something was wrong with him.

"Lois, he's… he's not himself," Tess replied, "If you run into him, try to act normal, don't let him feel that you're suspicious of him,"

"Tess what the hell is going on?" Lois asked, alarmed. Her instincts were right after all.

"I'll fill you in when we meet, just get here as soon as you can," Tess replied and disconnected the call.

Lois rushed back into the copier room but Clark had already disappeared.

oOo

"Tess what's going on?" Lois asked as soon as she stepped into the Watchtower.

"Lois, Clark isn't…" Tess's words were left in the middle as they heard a flying sound approaching the Watchtower.

"He found us," Tess whispered in a terrified voice as she looked up.

Before Lois could make any sense out of the situation, the stained glass on the ceiling of the Watchtower was shattered and they were sent flying.

Lois and Tess both landed against the walls in different directions of the huge hall. Lois immediately got up from the ground and watched in disbelief as Clark landed on the floor amidst the shattered glass. He gradually got up and his eyes immediately fell on Tess who was still on the floor.

"Get up Tess," he said.

She didn't move.

"Get up," he yelled at the top of his voice.

"Clark… what the hell is going on?" Lois took a cautious step in his direction.

He turned around and a lopsided grin formed on his face as he spotted her.

"You… and Tess as allies, I wouldn't have imagined that one even in a million years," he scoffed, "I have to admit though, it's really cute,"

He took a step towards her and she instinctively stepped back.

"Why do you always run away when things become interesting between us?" he tilted his head and watched her intently.

For the first time Lois fully realized that he wasn't her Clark. Sure, he looked exactly like him, but he wasn't him. There was a strange and menacing darkness in his green eyes. His predatory glance almost scared her. It couldn't be just Red Kryptonite. No, he was someone else.

"Who are you?" she asked, warily.

"Clark Luthor," Tess replied as she got up, "Lionel Luthor's son,"

Lois looked at Tess in disbelief and then her eyes came back to Clark.

"How…"

Clark shrugged and then suddenly rushed towards her. Within a blink of an eye, he was standing over her.

"I'm Clark," his lustful stare lowered down to her lips as he took a step towards her.

"You're not," she stated adamantly as she stepped backwards.

"You're as stubborn as her, aren't you?" he said, almost amused as his eyes continued to drink in the sight of her, "At least you're universally consistent Lois,"

"Where's my Clark?" she demanded indignantly, "Bring him back,"

"No, I'm not going back to Lionel's world, I'm staying here," he declared in a scornful tone. "This is going to be _my _world now, and everything that is here…"

He paused for a moment as his piercing green eyes looked at her up and down.

"…would be mine," he completed, in a low, seductive voice.

Tess slowly crawled towards the desk near the wall. She had remembered that there were some meteor rocks in one of the drawers. Very carefully, her hand reached the bottom drawer of the desk when Clark's gaze suddenly came back to her.

She quickly tried to open the drawer but it was too late. Within a blink of an eye, he whizzed across the hall and stood over her.

"What are you doing sis?" he asked and then his eyes scanned the drawer.

"Meteor rocks," he looked bored and then suddenly grabbed Tess from her throat and suspended her mid air.

Tess chocked and her hands helplessly tried to pry away his fingers from her, but the grasp of his iron-clad hand on her fragile neck continued to grow tighter and tighter. She was quickly running out of breath and knew that a few more seconds and she'd be dead, but Clark seemed in no mood to free her.

"Let her go," Lois yelled in anger as she approached them.

He abruptly threw Tess against the wall and grabbed Lois by her arm. Tess hit the ground and started coughing violently. Lois struggled to free herself but she knew that even her third degree black belt was no use against Clark's powers, whether he was from this world or any other.

"Where's the box Tess?" Clark yelled angrily.

"I… I don't know…" Tess replied, her voice shaking as she sat up against the wall, rubbing her neck with her fingers.

"You're of no use to me then are you?" he shot his heat vision, setting a small corner table along the wall on fire.

"No… no," Lois yelled, desperately trying to free herself from his grip while Tess finally found the strength to run and hide beneath the sofa.

"Really Tess?" he shook his head.

He abruptly freed Lois and tossed her on the floor before he rushed in front of the sofa. He easily lifted it up with one hand and threw it across the hall and then glared at Tess who was curled up beneath it.

"Come on Tess… tell me where it is?" he said.

"You can't stay here," Tess suddenly said in a determined voice as she sat up, knowing that there was no hiding from him.

"I can do whatever I want." Clark turned his gaze towards the computer screens installed in the center of the hall and shot his heat vision at them. One after another the screens went up in flames. The lights went out with a huge spark and the entire hall filled with smoke and smell of burning wires and equipment. While he had been set on destroying the hall, Lois finally managed to crawl near the drawer and take out a piece of green Kryptonite.

"Tell me where it is," Clark was about to grab Tess once again before Lois reached behind him.

"Let her go,"

Clark heard Lois's voice behind him and his body suddenly weakened. Tess quickly got up from the floor and hit him with her heel. He fell on the ground helplessly and looked up to see the sickening green glow of the meteor rock in Lois's hand. Tess immediately ran towards her desk underneath the stained glass window, searching for a gun that she remembered she had kept hidden in the drawer.

"Lois, please…" Clark begged weakly as he doubled over in pain. "Stop, it'll kill me,"

Lois couldn't believe she had to do this. There was no way she could ever think of using the meteor rocks against Clark no matter what the situation was. She knew that this man in front of her was not her Clark. She had seen what kind of a monster he was, and the destruction he had caused, as the wires and equipment burned all around her. Yet, it nearly shattered her heart to see him lying helplessly on the ground, covered in sweat.

_Clark Luthor… Lionel Luthor's son…_

"Lois…" he whispered breathlessly. "Please… stop this. I know that you don't want to hurt me."

Lois felt as if some unseen force had clutched her heart. It didn't matter from where he had come, he was still Clark. He was still Kal El, the boy that his parents had sent away in a hope that he'd be safe, the boy who had landed in this world, her world.

"I… don't want to harm you Lois," his teeth were gritted in pain. "And I know that you don't want to hurt me either."

Lois felt that her resolve was gradually weakening. If he was Lionel's son, then perhaps he had no choice but to become this savage beast, perhaps it wasn't his fault. Her heart suddenly began to come up with various justifications for him. Very carefully, she stepped closer to him and touched his shoulder with her heel, in order to turn him around on his back.

Meanwhile Tess found the gun in the drawer and quickly started to load it when her gaze fell at Lois and Clark and she saw what Lois was trying to do.

"Lois… don't!" Tess yelled as she ran across the hall.

It was too late. Clark grabbed Lois's foot and twisted it. She lost her balance and with a small scream fell on the ground. The meteor rock slipped from her hand and slid across the floor, far away from her reach and at a distance where it couldn't weaken Clark anymore. Before she could even blink, he had her body pressed underneath him and a triumphant grin was spread on his lips.

"You son of a…" Lois's words were left incomplete as he pressed a quick and hard kiss on her lips.

"I'll come back for you Lois after I've found what I'm looking for," he got up. "I promise,"

He sped across the hall and soared out of the stained glass window, sending the pieces of shattered glass flying everywhere.

Tess ran towards Lois and helped her get up.

"Are you all right?" Tess asked.

Lois looked at the stream of blood that dripped down Tess's forehead.

"I should be the one asking this question," Lois put her hand on Tess's shoulder.

"We need to locate Oliver," Tess said as she walked towards the desk under the glass window and looked at the only monitor in the hall that had miraculously been left intact.

"And you need to tell me about this God damned box first," Lois said.

Tess let out a resigned sigh. She knew that she'd finally have to give answers to the questions she herself had been avoiding for some time now.

oOo

Clark landed on the street below and he looked around for a moment before he started walking on the pavement. He didn't know where he wanted to go right now, his mind was scattered in million different directions.

He knew that until he would destroy the box, the danger of being sent back would always loom over his head. He had no intention of going back to Lionel's world. He had become tired and exhausted of living under his thumb, of following his orders. Lionel had his way of making him do whatever he wanted. And it wasn't like he had never tried to defy him – he had, several times, but the price was always severe. Lionel always managed to strike back at him when he least expected it. But he had had enough. He was no longer going to use his powers for Lionel's advantage. He wanted to conquer this world for himself now.

He felt liberated for the first time in his entire life. And there was no way he was going to let anyone ruin this. He'd find the box, destroy it, and stay here forever.

Except that he had no idea where to find it. He knew now that this Tess wasn't his Tess, so if she hadn't used the mirror box, then how had he managed to land here? It could only mean that the box was out there somewhere, and he was certain that Tess knew where it was, because she didn't seem surprised at all when he had mentioned it to her.

Clark was brought out of his thoughts when his gaze fell on the TV screens at a showroom display and the 'S' shaped Kryptonian shield of his family glued his feet to the ground. The reporter was going on enthusiastically about how the Blur had heroically saved some miners' lives.

"_Two months ago, these miners lives had been saved by the Blur after the coal mine had suddenly collapsed. Today they have finally returned to their duties, all thanks to Metropolis's mysterious savior…"_

The reporter then interviewed some of the workers who were full of praise and gratitude for the Blur.

"What a loser," Clark mumbled.

Suddenly a thought crossed his mind and a perilous grin appeared on his lips.

oOo

Lois, Tess and Oliver stood in front of the broken stained glass of the Watchtower.

"So where exactly is this box right now?" Oliver asked.

"I have no idea, when Clark touched it, he disappeared and so did the box," Tess replied as she looked at some files on the laptop that Oliver had brought.

"So if we don't find it, it means that Clark… my Clark can't come back?" Lois asked fearfully.

"We'll find a way," Oliver replied, "But first, we need to find this Clark,"

"But how?" Lois asked.

"Sooner or later he'll come back here," Tess said, still afraid.

"How can you be so sure?" Oliver asked.

"Because if the box really did vanish along with our Clark then Clark Luthor won't find it, and since he believes that I'm hiding it, he'll eventually come back here," Tess said.

"In that case we need to be prepared," Oliver said.

Oliver pressed a button on the keyboard at the desk and a compartment appeared beneath one of the semi-destroyed walls. It carried his Green Arrow gear and an assortment of arrows. He walked in front of the compartment, opened a small vault and took out a lead box. He placed the box on the table and opened it. It was full of arrows, but they weren't just any ordinary arrows. Their tips were made of green Kryptonite.

"Wait… you keep Green-K arrows handy?" Lois's eyes rounded in shock as she looked at the arrows and then Oliver.

"Don't worry Lois, Clark knows about them," Oliver replied.

"The team needs to be prepared in case our most powerful member goes haywire." Tess said in a matter of fact tone as she picked out an arrow and ran her finger over the tip.

"Or… switch places with his evil twin," Oliver added dryly.

Lois's gaze flickered between her and Oliver, disbelievingly and then she hesitatingly picked one arrow from the box, still not liking this whole idea.

Oliver picked a couple of compound bows from the compartment and handed one each to Tess and Lois.

"Time to get ready for some action ladies," he said as he grabbed one arrow and mounted it on his the bow. Lois tried to do the same but the arrow slipped from her fingers and dropped on the floor.

"Come on legs, I trained you better than that," Oliver teased, off her death glare as he picked up the arrow from the floor and handed it to her.

Lois was about to retort back before Tess interrupted them.

"You guys better take a look at this," Tess announced, her gaze fixed on the laptop screen.

Lois and Oliver quickly walked at the desk and looked over Tess's shoulders.

"_Two banks have been robbed within the last seven minutes in two different parts of the city and no one has seen the burglars. The police officials haven't been able to suspect anyone yet. The most bizarre aspect of both the incidents is this…"_

The camera spanned over a symbol burned into the wall.

"_A signature burned into the wall like the Blur's trademark… except that this isn't the Blur's symbol…"_

"What the hell is this?" Ollie mumbled as all three of them glared wide eyed at the "U" burned on the wall.

"_It's hard to imagine that the Blur could be behind something like this…" the reporter's voice echoed._

"He has already started his takeover plans," Tess said in a horrified voice.

"What does the 'U' stand for anyway?" Lois asked, appalled, her eyes still fixed on the 'U' displayed on the screen.

"Ultraman," Tess replied.

Lois and Oliver looked at her, surprised.

"He mentioned it when I first saw him at the Planet," Tess revealed.

"Well, time to have a one to one with this… Ultraman," Oliver walked away towards the compartment.

"Ollie what are you doing?" Lois asked.

"I need to stop him," Oliver replied.

"For that you'll have to find him first," Tess said.

"Well I won't just stand here and watch while he destroys the city," Oliver replied.

"Ollie, be careful," Lois said.

"I will be," Oliver replied as his gaze lingered on her for a moment and then he looked at Tess, "Keep trying to contact the rest of the team and if he comes here, inform me,"

Tess nodded.

oOo

Clark hustled into the hallway of the Luthor Mansion. He looked around for a moment before he opened the double doors of the study and walked inside.

"Mr. Kent," one of Tess's guards followed him, ""Ms. Mercer isn't home at the moment."

Clark glared at him for a moment and then started to scan the study with his x ray vision to find the box.

"Mr. Kent," the guard tried to catch his attention again, this time suspicious.

Clark grabbed him by his coat and threw him against the wall. Two other guards heard the commotion and came running into the study. One of them took out a gun. Clark super sped towards him and took the gun from his hands before he threw him against the wall and grabbed the other guard by his collar.

"Where is it?" he asked in a threatening whisper. "You know where Tess is keeping it don't you?"

"You… you… won't get… away…" the guard managed to utter with much difficulty as Clark's fingers grabbed his throat.

"Tell me or I'll break your neck," Clark hissed.

The other guard got up from the floor.

"Ms. Mercer won't tolerate you barging in here like this so I'll suggest…"

His sentence was left incomplete as Clark easily tossed the guard whom he had grabbed earlier onto the other one. Both men went flying across the room and crashed against the wall. He glared at them for a moment before he whizzed out of the study.

oOo

Clark scanned the entire premise and turned everything upside down. By the time he finished, the mansion was in shambles and most of the guards lied around with broken bones or concussions, and still he hadn't found a clue on the whereabouts of the mirror box. Suddenly he remembered that there was one room that he had left to search.

It was in the basement next to the wine cellar. Lex and he used to play there when they were little. He wasn't sure if he wanted to visit that room again. In his world, he had never gone down there after Lex's death. He knew that it would bring back those memories that he desperately wanted to forget.

He stood conflicted for some time before he hesitatingly opened the door and stepped down the stairs. This deserted hall was nothing like the one he remembered from his world. There was nothing in there except for the remains of a destroyed car tethered up on an elevated portal in the center of the room.

Clark circled around the portal, carefully examining the carnage. It seemed like the car had been fully destroyed in some accident. Why would someone keep this scrap piled up here was beyond him. He continued to stare at the car when an old memory suddenly flickered before his eyes.

_The memory that he could never forget. The memory of that accident which had killed Lex._

He shuddered away that memory from his mind and scanned the remains of the destructed vehicle through his x-ray vision. There was nothing suspicious about it, and the box was not in there. He was about to leave when his eyes fell on a small carton in the corner of the room. He picked up the carton and turned it upside down. He was astonished to see the contents that littered the floor. There were drawings of Kryptonian symbols, pictures, newspaper clippings and a couple of folders among other stuff, but the framed picture of him, rather of his counterpart Clark Kent and Lex caught his attention.

_It meant that this world's Clark also knew Lex._

He picked up a framed picture of Clark and Lex and stared at it disbelievingly. Clark wore a plaid shirt and a pair of jeans. He and Lex stood outside a farmhouse with huge smiles playing on their lips. He immediately recognized the yellow farmhouse.

_The Kent Farm! Off course!_

"Clark _Kent_, as in Martha and Jonathan Kent," Clark mumbled in disbelief.

He inwardly scoffed at the bizarre irony. In his world, the Kents were his family's sworn enemies. Jonathan and Martha Kent's purpose in life was to bring down the Luthors. Lionel loathed them with passion yet Clark could never understand why Lionel didn't have Jonathan and Martha eliminated like he did with all his other opponents. It was as if he somehow knew that Jonathan and Martha were suffering badly and he let them live only because he didn't want to put them out of that misery.

In this world however, things were entirely different. This other Clark had grown up in that small, yellow farmhouse with that stubborn and uptight Jonathan Kent as his father. No wonder he had been raised to save lives, to have a strong moral code, a one that could not be compromised, no matter what happened.

He put down the picture and looked at another framed picture of Lex and Clark Kent. This one was taken at some place that looked like a coffee shop or restaurant with a gaudy Egyptian décor in the background. Lex and Clark weren't brothers at this side of the universe but it was evident from the pictures that they had formed a friendship, and a very close one. His finger traced Lex's face on the frame. He felt an uneasiness as if an unseen force clutched his heart.

Lex was the closest thing he had to a family in his world. No one could ever tell that they weren't blood brothers. Lex always watched over him. He had saved him from getting beaten up by Lionel so many times. Lionel had tried his best to not let them form a close relationship, but still, they had managed to create a bond that even their father couldn't break – until things started to fall apart them and then it all came crashing down on that ill-fated night when he had caused that accident that took away Lex from him.

"You stabbed me,"

Clark's head jerked up as he heard the words.

He quickly turned around and noticed a small boy who stood on the stairs of the basement, looking at him. Clark looked at his silhouette in the semi-dark room, confused until the boy stepped down the stairs. Clark's eyes widened in astonishment as the boy stepped into the light.

He was Lex. Ten year old Lex!

Clark stood up and the picture slid from his hands and fell on the floor.

"Lex… how…"

"You're such a hypocrite Clark Kent," the boy said angrily.

"I'm not Clark Kent," Clark replied.

"Then who are you? The Blur?" he laughed sarcastically. "Metropolis's hero, their savior, the man who leaves his symbol all over the city to remind them that he's a God among men, tell me Clark, how does it feel to be worshipped?"

Clark desperately wanted to touch him, to see he was real or just a figment of his imagination, but Lex shrunk back in anger and disgust as he took a step towards him.

"But I will tell the world about the real Clark Kent," Lex said sarcastically, "The man who doesn't even trust his own friends,"

Clark knelt down once again and looked at the boy, his brother.

"Your dad was always so over protective of you Clark… he never wanted us to be friends, he hated me but I still always thought of you as my brother," Lex suddenly sounded hurt and broken.

"And I've always loved you like my brother too," Clark said honestly.

"You're a liar," Lex screamed furiously, "You never trusted me, your father never trusted me, because I was a Luthor! Jonathan Kent died protecting your secret from my dad, but he couldn't trust me,"

_Jonathan Kent died protecting him in this world._

He didn't know how to process that. He couldn't even fathom how someone could possibly die for _him. _How someone could be so protective of him? He couldn't remember when was the last time anyone had done anything for him out of love. As far as he could remember Lionel Luthor had always made him use his powers to eliminate his enemies, to take over corporations, to gain what he wanted. Clark had always done what Lionel had asked him to, yet protecting him in turn, protecting his secret from the world was never a thought on Lionel's mind.

Clark reached out for Lex again but he stepped back angrily.

"That's all I ever wanted from you Clark, to be trusted," Lex said, "I wanted to be your friend because a part of me always envied you… with all my money and power I could never be like you, all I needed was a chance to show that I wasn't anything like my father… but you pushed me to the edge, you turned me into the Luthor I never wanted to be,"

"Lex…"

"I know what you're gonna tell me," Lex said resentfully, "That I'm not real, that I'm just a clone, but that's not true… I am real, I am Lex Luthor,"

_A clone. Off course._

In his world too, Lex was obsessed with human cloning and he had fuelled several million dollars in that research. Cadmus Labs and Level-33 were his pet projects in his world.

"I didn't kill you Lex," Clark suddenly said in a determined voice.

Lex tilted his head and looked at him, strangely.

"You need to trust me," Clark said, "I could never have harmed you… I know that this is a different world, none of what I'm saying would make any sense to you, and not that it would matter anyway, but I need to say this… I didn't kill you, I never knew that the brakes of that car weren't working… I had no idea that there was Blue-K in that car – I would have saved you if my powers hadn't stopped working… it was an accident Lex,"

"You've lost your mind Clark," Lex said.

Clark simply stared without blinking, at this 'clone' that looked exactly like his brother, and he wished in that moment that Lex would come back to him. He wanted to see him back, to free himself from this burden that he had never been able to get rid of.

"I am looking for something Lex, and once I have it, I'll own this world, and then I'll make you see that I was never your enemy," Clark said. "We will have here what we lost in our world,"

The little boy watched in both astonishment and confusion as Clark whizzed away.

oOo

Clark came to a stop in front of the Kent family's farmhouse in Smallville. He had seen this house before, in his world, but it was such a stark contrast to this house. It always looked so dark, gloomy and bleak, as opposed to this house that looked warm and… homey.

He entered the house and looked around. He scanned the kitchen and the living room, but there wasn't any secret compartment, any locker beneath the walls where he could find the box. He was loosing patience now. Apart from the Luthors, Clark Kent was the only one who could have the possession of that box and this house could be the only place where he'd keep it.

_Where could it be?_

Aggravated, he super speeded into the living room and turned everything up side down but the mirror box wasn't there. He ran fingers in his hair in frustration before his eyes fell on the numerous framed pictures that covered the brightly colored walls.

His gaze froze on one picture. It was Clark Kent's photo with his parents, the Kents, standing on the porch of the Kent farm. Jonathan's arm was around Clark and the three of them smiled brightly.

The pure happiness on the faces of the Kent family truly surprised him. The Jonathan Kent he knew from his world was a bitter man. Strong, determined, principled to the core, yet bitter. There was a coldness, an anger and frustration in him. Jonathan Kent in his world was nothing like this simple plaid-clad farmer. He was a U.S. senator and a strong candidate for the upcoming presidential elections, yet this folksy farmer looked so much content than he had ever seen him in his world. Martha Kent too, in his world was among the topmost lawyers of the country, yet he had never seen her as blessed and joyful as she looked here, in this picture, standing next to Clark.

Till now, Clark hadn't thought of any other life than the one he had. He didn't need to. His life was the most privileged one, the one that anyone would envy, or so he thought.

"_Life is a game of chess son, you can only play it successfully if you know your opponents' weaknesses and you know when to strike at them," Lionel's words echoed in his ears._

That was the only belief that he had grown up with. The thought of using his powers and abilities for someone else's benefit had never crossed his mind.

He had everything. Every materialistic thing in the world that any human could possibly possess, and he had tasted and savored every single pleasure that this world could bring him. He believed that everything could be bought or possessed, one way or another.

Yet, this one picture, the picture of this plaid wearing farm boy and his parents, defied everything that he lived for. He didn't remember feeling this much joy in anything that he had ever touched, or conquered or possessed.

A voice in his mind shook him out of these ridiculous thoughts. He tossed away the picture and super speeded upstairs. He ransacked Lois and Clark's bedroom in hope to find the box, but it wasn't there.

He opened the drawers and threw out the contents, until a small box carefully hidden beneath a heap of bills, letters and envelopes caught his attention. It was too small to hold the mirror box so it wasn't obviously of any use to him but curiosity forced him to take it out and open it.

For a moment, he stared astonishingly at the dazzling platinum band with the diamond shining on it before he realized what it meant. Clark Kent was going to propose to Lois. That could be the only explicable reason he could discern for why there would be a diamond ring hidden in his drawer.

_Lois and Clark would soon be married in this world._

Lois and Clark in this world had that relationship which he never had with his Lois. They had created a home in this small and unpretentious house, a home that he could never imagine creating with Lois in his world, even with all the affluence of the world at his disposal.

In his world, his relationship with Lois had lasted five months and four days before she had broken up with him, and in this world, this Clark Kent was ready to make her his, for the rest of his life. And seeing how Lois loved him, it wasn't hard for him to guess what her answer would be. Suddenly her anger when he had seen her at the Watchtower flashed before his eyes.

"_Where's my Clark… bring him back…"_

_Her Clark._

He couldn't imagine that there was anyone in any world who would call him that, for he didn't belong to anyone, and no one really belonged to him. He'd never in his life thought that he'd feel inferior to someone. All his anger and resolve weren't successful in wiping out that feeling from his mind. It was ridiculous and absurd, yet he wasn't able to let go of it.

He furiously threw away the ring and then rushed to the barn on another futile hunt. He ascended the stairs in the barn and entered a small loft. He pulled all the drawers, turned them upside down, their contents littered the floor one after another until his gaze fell on a small trunk hidden beneath the sofa. He tried to open it but it was locked. He easily ripped away the lock and threw the trunk open.

On top of the trunk, there were a couple of yearbooks and journals. He tossed them away as he rummaged through the contents of the trunk. One after another, he threw away the stuff until a scrapbook with a newspaper clipping pasted on the top caught his attention.

He took it out and stared at the clipping. It was a headline from the Daily Planet dated a couple of years back.

"_Metropolis's Mystery Savior stops burglary, robbers caught and put behind bars"_

_By Lois Lane._

His eyes scanned through the article that was full of praise and gratitude for this 'mystery hero'. He opened the scrapbook and looked at the neatly pasted clippings cut from various editions of the Planet, all articles written by Lois, about the Blur.

"_Red Blue Blur helps capture crime ring"_

"_Red Blue Blur rescues workers trapped in factory fire"_

"_The Blur saves the people trapped after building collapse"_

"_The Blur prevents monorail crash, all passengers safe and sound"_

He turned the pages and looked at the headlines one after another. Over the span of two years, the Blur had slowly emerged as the savior of Metropolis, an epitome of hope. He was a mystery. No one had seen his face, yet everyone loved him. Everyone respected and idolized him. The Blur was everything that Ultraman wasn't.

There were several other articles in the scrapbook, all written by Lois in vigorous support of some other superheroes who apparently saved lives and protected people every single day, and Clark was the greatest one of them all.

He put aside the scrapbook and picked up a small journal. It was full of Kryptonian inscriptions and various notes. He realized that it was some kind of a translation of the Kryptonian language and contained the knowledge about his heritage that he had never gained in his world. He could read Kryptonian, Jor El had somehow managed to download that knowledge into him, but he had never tried to use it to decipher the secrets of his origin. Lionel had forbidden him from doing that.

"_If you want to conquer this world for yourself, you will have to let go of the world that you have left behind. All the knowledge that Kryptonians had couldn't prevent them from destroying their own planet, you won't gain anything by learning it either," Lionel had always told him._

There was a symbol on one page that suddenly grabbed his attention. It was the same symbol he had noticed on that drawing of the mirror box he had once seen in his world and then suddenly a thought crossed his mind.

_Off course! Jor El could give him the answers he was looking for!_

oOo

Clark stepped into the magnificent ice structure of the fortress and looked around. For a moment, he was stunned to see the full glory of this unearthly formation sans all the so-called research equipment that Lionel had his experts install all over the fortress in his world.

"Jor El," he yelled, "where's the mirror box?"

There was no reply.

"I know that you know about it," he yelled as he looked around. "I'll destroy this place if you don't tell me where it is,"

There was complete silence except the echo of Clark's own voice and the howling of wind that crashed against the ice walls.

"Fine…" Clark gritted his teeth and shot his heat vision, destroying several crystals.

There was still silence. Clark waited for a moment before he triggered his heat vision once again and destroyed several more.

"Jor El, I've destroyed this place in my universe, I won't stop from doing the same here… so you better give me the answers I want," Clark yelled.

When he still didn't get any reply from Jor El, he smashed his fist on one of the crystals, however, instead of being shattered, it slid back into the console and the fortress filled with a strange light. Before Clark could even understand what happened, the light suddenly morphed into a halo and encompassed him. He stared without blinking as two holographic images, one of a man and the other of a woman appeared in the center. The man had the 'S' shaped shield on his white attire.

"_My son, I only had the joy of knowing you a few weeks, I wish I could be with you always to guide you and protect you." the woman's voice echoed in the fortress._

Were they his birth parents? He looked at the holographs in disbelief. He had never seen this in his fortress. The woman's voice was filled with so much love and affection. He didn't remember anyone ever speaking to him with such warmth and compassion.

"_My dearest Kal El, our love will always be with you I can already see you carry with you, your father's independent spirit."_

For a moment he wanted to shoot his heat vision, destroy the crystal that had caused these holographs to appear and then get back to business, except that he felt as if his powers had been stripped away from him. He simply stood there and stared the images of his birth parents, as their last message to their son filled the silence of the fortress.

oOo

At the Watchtower, Lois sat on the floor near the shattered stained glass window, her gaze was fixed on the green tip of the arrow.

"I've sent the SOS signal, the team is scattered all over the globe right now but at least they've got our call," Tess walked near Lois.

"Strange isn't it?" Tess said as she sat on the floor next to Lois. "He's Clark, he's the same man, but nothing like the one we know,"

"I don't know what's more appalling, knowing that my Clark is trapped in that universe or that there [i]_is[/i] _a universe like it out there in the first place, where Clark isn't…" Lois left her words in the middle.

"…a hero," Tess completed her sentence.

"He may not even have a choice," Lois said.

"You can't choose your family can you," Tess said sarcastically.

Lois looked at the anguish on Tess's face and she could feel the bitterness in her voice. She wanted to say something before they heard a sound and quickly got up from the floor.

Clark Luthor suddenly appeared out of thin air and marched into the Watchtower. Lois and Tess quickly grabbed their compound bows, aiming it at him. He tilted his head and looked at them with a smile.

"Is this supposed to scare me?" he walked towards them, a bored look on his face.

Lois aimed the arrow at him, ready to shoot, however that didn't deter him from his stride. Lois was surprised when she realized that the green Kryptonite wasn't weakening him.

"What the hell?" she mumbled.

"This won't work on me," he shrugged.

"Blue Kryptonite," Lois whispered in realization.

"Well… if this doesn't work on you…" Tess said as she threw away the compound bow and pulled out a gun and aimed it at Clark, "Then I'm sure this will,"

Clark let out a chuckle and looked at the gun.

"Well, at least you're smart in this world sis," he sounded mildly amused.

Lois suddenly tried to punch him but he grabbed her fist and pulled her against his chest. Tess quickly aimed the gun at him but she couldn't risk shooting Clark lest she'd hurt Lois.

"You can never be a match for me Lois, whether I have my powers or not," he did not seem to even notice the gun that was pointed in his direction right now.

"You're wrong," Lois's elbow kicked him in the stomach. He staggered a little and she used the opportunity to free her hands, at the same time, Tess attacked him.

Clark turned on his heels to stop Tess's punch on his wrist and before she could blink, he grabbed her arm and turned her around on her back. Lois didn't even get the time to process what happened while Clark had already grabbed Tess's gun and he was pointing it at Tess's forehead.

"Take one step and I'll shoot her," he warned Lois.

"Lois… don't listen to him," Tess yelled.

"Let her go," Lois said furiously.

Clark hit Tess's head with the gun and she fell on the ground, unconscious.

"Tess…" Lois screamed.

Clark took out a piece of Blue Kryptonite from his pocket and tossed it away on the floor. Lois angrily attacked him but he briskly grabbed her wrist and turned her around, her back pressed against his chest. Her desperate struggle to free herself didn't even make him budge.

"Everything is different on this side of the world, except you Lois," he whispered sharply in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

"You're right, everything is different here," her voice trembled in anger, "We're not going to let you turn this world into your battleground,"

"And how do you plan to stop me, with your… your Clark on the other side?" he sounded almost amused.

"Clark may be trapped in your world but his team is still here," Lois replied adamantly, "They'll bring him back,"

"By team you mean those masked clowns?" he scoffed. "I'm so scared, I guess I should prepare myself," he added mockingly.

Clark tied Lois's wrists on her back with the help of a wire before he pushed her on the ground. He made her sit on the floor and then knelt down in front of her, his eyes fixed on her face. She met his gaze with a defiant glare of her own. A lopsided grin formed on his lips and he started to lean in until their faces were only inches apart. She pulled herself back, horrified. The arrogant grin on his face enraged her. She could see that he was just toying with her, tormenting her.

"You won't be able to take over this world, because we won't let you," Lois said angrily.

"You can't stop me, the one who has the strength to conquer everyone is the one who rules the world," Clark whispered as he leaned in once again, until his lips almost lingered over hers, "That's how it has always been Lois, that's how it should be, I can have whatever I want, then why should I stop myself from having it, hmm?"

He could see the anger and disgust on her face. Tears shimmered in her beautiful hazel eyes and she looked so sensuous even in this shocked and jaded state. There wasn't anything about this woman that didn't make him desperately want her.

"It's so easy for you isn't it?" Lois glared at him condescendingly. "To just grab what you want and live this barbaric life. You can't even imagine the struggle that my Clark goes through, each day, to save this world, to make the right decision…"

Lois's eyes momentarily glanced at his fingers that played with the ring on his pinkie finger and she suddenly noticed a vein of red that ran through the purple stone in the center. _So_ _he was on Red Kryptonite._

"For him it has never been about having what he wants," her eyes came back to his face as she tried hard to fight her fear and anger, "He uses his powers to help people, to protect them, to save lives. He doesn't need to conquer the world, because he already has everything that he could wish for… but I guess you'll never understand that, and it's not even your fault…"

For a moment Clark felt as if he was listening to his own Lois.

"_You have everything… there is so much good that you can do Clark… but you choose to live this petty, selfish, pathetic life… I'm sorry but I can't be part of this… I can't be a part of you…" her words echoed in his ears._

"Your Clark is not coming back Lois," he told her in a condescending, almost resentful tone, feeling overwhelmed and defeated by her sheer determination.

"I will never believe it, not for a moment," Lois said calmly, but her unshakable faith was evident in her tone, "There's no way I'll ever give up on him, I know that he'll return to me,"

For the first time Clark realized that this Lois and her Clark had a bond that he could never have with anyone, not even with his Lois. In this world, Lois and Clark were a team, they were one, and they were each other's strength. They loved each other and they stood by each other. That was something he couldn't have even if he succeeded in enslaving the entire world.

"You've been raised by a man who couldn't even truly love his own flesh and blood," Lois continued as her gaze went back to his finger, now she could clearly see the shade of red in his ring. "Then how can anyone possibly expect him to love a child who isn't his own… he has raised you into a monster."

"Do you really hate me that much?" he asked her the same question he had asked his Lois when she had told him that she was leaving him.

"No, I don't," Lois replied quietly. "I just pity you,"

oOo

Oliver cautiously entered the Watchtower, carefully avoiding the shattered glass and the charred remains of the destroyed equipment. He gnashed his teeth in anger as he glared at the destruction and then his eyes fell on Lois and Clark and then on Tess who lied unconscious on the floor.

"Get away from them," he yelled and aimed his compound bow at Clark.

Before Oliver could blink, Clark whizzed at the Blue Kryptonite and grabbed it from the floor, putting it in his pocket.

"Leather tights, really?" Clark slightly shook his head as he glared at Oliver. "Oh for the record, the Green K arrows won't work so you can put that away…" he pointed towards the compound bow in Oliver's hand.

"I can still shoot you," Oliver shot back. "But where's the fun in that?"

Oliver suddenly shot an arrow that anchored itself to the railing of the balcony and swung across the hall to hit Clark's chest with both his feet. Both men fell on the ground and immediately got tangled with each other.

Lois desperately tried to free herself from the binds as she watched Oliver getting beaten by Clark. She noticed Tess stirring a little.

"Tess," she whispered.

Tess wearily opened her eyes and the first thing she saw was a blurred vision of Clark and Oliver fighting and then her eyes traveled to Lois. She slowly slid across the floor and reached behind Lois in order to untie her hands.

"Come on Queen, this is the best you've got," Clark punched Oliver, "The girls are more fun than you,"

In reply, Oliver's fist hit his jaw and he staggered back. Oliver quickly tried to take advantage and punch him again but Clark caught his fist in his palm. Oliver's gaze went down to the 'L' shaped scar on Clark's wrist.

"What kind of a sick world are you from?" Oliver glared at the scar.

"The one I own," Clark replied. "And I'll own this one too."

"Wrong! My team would never let you," Oliver's kick sent Clark on the ground and then he tried to kick him again in the stomach but Clark grabbed his foot and twisted it, making him fall on the floor.

Oliver immediately flipped on his back and got up from the floor but Clark grabbed him and both men got entangled in a furious fist fight once again. Oliver tugged on Clark's collar and turned him around but Clark punched his face and took advantage of his distraction to turn him on his back once again.

During the scuffle, Oliver ripped his pocket, releasing the piece of Blue Kryptonite that fell and slid across the floor. Oliver instantly jumped and put his foot on the piece of rock, before Clark could get his hands on it again.

"Lois… Tess… now," Oliver yelled.

Lois grabbed the bow from the ground and reached on Clark's head. He immediately weakened and relegated to the floor. Tess picked up the gun from the floor and reached over him. Oliver picked his bow from the ground and quickly mounted a green kryptonite tipped arrow over it. Within moments, all three of them surrounded Clark who knelt helplessly on the floor.

"Time to go back to hell, Luthor," Oliver said angrily.

"How do we send him back without the mirror box?" Lois asked.

"You can't sweetheart," Clark looked up at Lois with a mocking grin on his lips.

"Shut up," Oliver yelled.

"Tell us or we'll kill you," Tess said coldly.

"Wouldn't do that if I were you sis," Clark replied, "If you kill me the other one will remain there forever,"

His trick worked as he the looks of disbelief and horror instantly crossed the faces of all three of them.

"And if you think we'll let you run around…" Tess was ready to pull the trigger.

"Tess wait!" Lois screamed.

"Always the wise one," Clark laughed.

Lois angrily pulled the arrow on her compound bow and walked closer to him. He looked at her and their gaze met for a moment. She could see nothing but coldness and anger in his eyes. He wasn't the man she loved. There wasn't even a glimpse of her Clark in him, even if they were the same, yet there was a part of her that couldn't stand to see him in pain.

The only thing she knew was that if he had not been raised on a different side of the world, he wouldn't be this ruthless and selfish man, he would have exactly been like her Clark. It was an insane thought, but for one moment, she wished that he could become like her Clark, become the savior of his world. She wanted redemption for this being that looked so much like the man she loved.

Just then, a flash of light momentarily encompassed Clark and then subsided.

oOo

For a moment, Clark couldn't understand what happened. He felt like falling into an abyss and then everything went bleak around him. He gradually opened his eyes and looked around. The sting of pain caused by the green meteor rocks still filled every fiber of his being, except that he wasn't surrounded by green Kryptonite arrows anymore.

It seemed like the same building where he was in that other world, but the surrounding was entirely different. The chaos and the burning equipments were all gone. There was nothing but a mind numbing silence and darkness around him. Lois and Tess weren't there, only Oliver.

"What the hell?" he mumbled and groaned in pain.

Oliver's gaze went to his wrist and he instantly noticed the scar that he had first seen on his hand when they studied together in Excelsior. Clark Luthor was back.

"Welcome back Luthor," Oliver said sarcastically, "I hope you enjoyed the trip."

The realization instantly hit him that he was back – in his world, in Lionel's world.

"You won't kill me Queen," Clark scoffed as he looked at the gun pointed on his head. "You're a loser, just like your counterpart,"

"I don't have to kill you," Oliver replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "All I need to do is to leave you here and you'll die a painful and agonizing death."

"My dad will find me," Clark said.

"He's gone," Oliver said.

_Gone? What did he mean gone? Where would Lionel Luthor go?_

"Not that he would have saved you if he was here anyway," Oliver said as he knelt down in front of him.

"Yes he would, I'm his son," Clark said, trying hard to hide the agony in his voice.

"You're not," Oliver said, "You know, all of this makes sense now. You're nothing but his weapon of destruction. Your powers are a means for him to get what he wants, and you… you just wag your tail and follow his orders, do his dirty work and in the end he fools you into believing that you're a part of his family… and you're so stupid, that you actually trust him,"

"Shut up," Clark snapped in anger.

"Or else what?" Oliver mocked.

"I'll kill you the first chance I get," Clark hissed through gritted teeth, the pain caused by the meteors was getting intense each passing minute.

"No you won't," Oliver replied.

"I murdered my own brother," Clark asked sarcastically. "What makes you think I'll spare you?"

"I know that you didn't murder Lex," Oliver stood up from the floor. "Lionel did that himself, and made it appear that you did it."

Despite of the fact that Clark had recently began to suspect that Lionel had something to do with Lex's death, he was still shocked beyond belief to hear Oliver's words. For the past five years of his life, he had desperately tried to prove to Lionel that Lex's death was an accident, but Lionel had never believed him, and now he knew why.

They had told the police that it was an accident, and even though there weren't any charges against Clark, he had always lived with the guilt of the crime that he had never committed. Lionel had forced him to believe that he had taken his brother's life when he had been the one who had killed his own son. Clark burned with outrage. Once again, he had been betrayed and tormented by the man he called _dad. _It wasn't like it hadn't happened before, but he had never felt this angry and hurt.

"For the record, he also killed the Swanns, the Teagues… my parents," Oliver continued. "I can't believe after all these years I finally find out who murdered my parents and he disappeared right before my eyes."

"You're lying," Clark said, his voice trembled as he felt his resolve breaking.

"For God's sake man how blind could you be?" Oliver yelled angrily. "The guy killed his own son… his flesh and blood, why would he think twice before taking all those lives? Do you honestly think he could ever have loved you… or that he'd have left you his empire, he'd have killed you the moment he would've realized that he didn't need you anymore Clark."

"I'd have killed him first," Clark roared angrily.

"Then why didn't you do it already?" Oliver asked sarcastically.

Clark didn't reply. Oliver sat down next to him again.

"Oh and by the way your sister, she was double crossing you," Oliver revealed. "What a loving family you've got there Luthor, I seriously envy you."

Oliver added after a pause, "The other Clark, Clark Kent, he told me that he and I are allies in that other universe, he said that he wished that this world would become like his,"

"You're out of your mind if you think I'll ever become your ally Queen," Clark replied.

"Yes I know I'm crazy Luthor," Oliver shook his head. "For always trying to see good in you. Every time we came across each other, I tried to bring you to my side, to join me, to save this world."

"I'd rather take over it than save it for others." Clark sneered, but he knew deep in his heart that his determination had been shaken, his words had become hollow. His entire life, he had always acted on his desires, but everything he had done till this day suddenly seemed… detestable.

"What will you gain from that?" Oliver asked resentfully. "Come on Clark… have you never considered becoming something better than Lionel's killing machine… have you never thought that this Ultraman could actually have been a savior that people would love as their hero…"

The Blur's Kryptonian symbol momentarily flashed before Clark's eyes and Lois's words echoed in his ears.

"_He doesn't need to conquer the world, because he already has everything that he could wish for."_

"Shut the hell up and kill me already Queen," Clark snarled.

"I will," Oliver said as he got up again, "And a lot of people will be happy when you're gone, the city of Metropolis will be free again. Have you ever wondered if anyone will cry for you when you're dead?"

Clark didn't reply. The holographs of his Kryptonian parents flashed before his eyes.

"_I need you to know you were born of a great love and your brilliant father has devised a way for you to carry on that without us," his mother had said._

"Seriously Clark, what was the point of your life?" Oliver asked.

"_I am sending with you all my knowledge and none of my ego or regrets, they will die with me here on Krypton. Whatever trials I put you through I will never loose faith in you," Jor El's word's echoed in his ears._

They had wished him to possess his father's independent spirit and his mother's bravery and her compassionate heart. Except that he had neither of them. He was a slave, not just to Lionel but to his own thirst for power. He had destroyed countless lives, whereas his counterpart in the other world had dedicated his powers to saving them. Kent had fulfilled his purpose on Earth, he had become what Jor El wanted. He had fulfilled his destiny. The meaning of Jor El's words finally dawned on him.

"_We are confident that you will become Earth's greatest savior I'll never doubt that just as you're a part of us, we will always be a part of you… "_

He had never let Jor El guide and assist him. He knew nothing of Krypton, of the heritage and legacy that he was supposed to carry. He had successfully thrashed Jor El's every single attempt to show him what he wanted him to become, to impart the knowledge of his home planet on him, because Lionel always stopped him from listening to his birth father. Now he'd die here and no one will know where he went. Tess would take over Luthor Corp, the empire that he had helped Lionel built. He had gained nothing in his life, and his death would as meaningless as his life had been.

"_Farewell," his mother's voice whispered in his ears._

He closed his eyes.

"Oliver, stop please," a voice suddenly filled the hall.

It was the one voice he would recognize anywhere, the one voice that managed to raise his heartbeat even today. Clark opened his eyes again and saw her walk into the hall.

"You're not a murderer Ollie," Lois stated firmly as she stopped next to Oliver.

Clark felt as if his heart stopped beating for a moment, and it wasn't just her beauty. No, there was something else about her, something that always enamored him even when they were together. Perhaps it was her determination, perhaps her strength or grace, he couldn't tell. There was something about this fragile woman that even with all his powers, he couldn't manage to conquer – not in this world, or the other one he had just come from.

As always, she was the one who brought hope into the darkness and disparity of this world. She was the one who reminded Oliver of the best in him, just like she used to do for him when they were together. In that moment, the only thing Clark desired was to get up from the floor, from this abhorrent state and rise on his feet again, just to be able to take her in his arms once again.

For the first time he became aware of the emptiness that her departure had left in his life. And this time he didn't just want her to come back, he wanted her to _love _him, like that other Lois loved her Clark. The sheer desire of being loved, a feeling that he had considered extraneous throughout his life, suddenly took over him so strongly that everything else became meager in comparison.

_Would she cry for him if he died?_

_For a moment, he wondered if he could become the man that the other Lois loved?_

"You're right, I'm not," Oliver lowered his gun, "And neither is he… he just needs to realize that,"

Oliver took out a remote control from his pocket and pressed a button. The Kryptonite disappeared and sunlight sifted through the stained glass, suddenly filling up the room. Clark's powers quickly rejuvenated and he levitated on his feet.

"I can't believe you didn't murder me when you had the chance," he said.

"And now you have the chance," Oliver replied calmly. "Question is, what will you do with it?"

Clark tried to take a step towards him but he simply froze as his eyes fell on Lois. She managed to look stunning, even in a bewildered state. The thoughts and conflicts that had strongly taken over him a few moments ago gradually started to subside, yet he could still not find the nerve to inflict any harm on Oliver.

"You can never be like that other Clark," Lois's voice was solemn, yet there was an unmistakable conviction in it as she spoke, "But if you spare Oliver's life like he just spared yours, then for once I might get to see the glimpse of the man I once believed you to be."

He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. He stood simply entranced by her, taking in her appearance. Perhaps for the first time in his life, the need to share his life with her took over him. He wanted to say something when he noticed the diamond that glittered on her finger and he immediately felt the sting of loss. She walked next to Oliver and tangled her fingers in his.

"Let's go," she said softly to Oliver.

Oliver and Clark locked eyes for a moment before Clark looked away. Lois and Oliver finally turned around and left the hall. Clark stood in silence, completely alone, bathed in the sunlight that filled the room. For a moment he wondered where he'd go from here. He almost smiled as he realized for the first time that it was completely his decision.

oOo

_In Clark Kent's world…_

Clark stepped out of the elevator at Metropolis General Hospital and rushed into the corridor, looking for Lois. He spotted her sitting on one of the bed outside the Emergency Room while a nurse cleaned her wound.

"Lois," he called out as he charged towards her bed. Seeing her heartwarming smile instantly elevated all his worries.

"Hey," she put her initials on the discharge card and got up from the bed, "I swear the number of times I've signed one of those…"

Her words were cut off in the middle as he suddenly grabbed her by her arms and kissed her insistently. She kissed him back with the same fervor, even though her cheeks reddened with the realization that they were in a hospital lobby full of people. After a moment, she finally broke the kiss and pulled back, flustered. He reluctantly released her and handed her a bouquet of flowers.

"What are these for?" she asked playfully, ignoring the death glare of a woman standing in the hallway with her two small children, who were staring at her and Clark while whispering and giggling mischievously.

"Nothing says sorry for everything my doppelganger did like flowers," he said, his hand snaked around her waist and pulled her closer.

"I think there's a card for that out there," she teased.

"The store was out," he retorted back.

She sniggered and smelled the flowers as they marched towards the elevator.

"I found the mirror box and destroyed it," he whispered in her ear, "You and I won't ever have to worry about seeing him again,"

"He wasn't you Clark," Lois pressed a button on the elevator, "I mean, he wasn't _[i]you…[/i]_ you,"

"I know the circumstances were different on that side but it was still me inside that mirror, and the way you looked at me Lois with so much hate…" he was unable to shake his mind off of how angry, heartbroken and torn that other Lois was. "I can't imagine what Clark Luthor would have done that hurt her so much."

"I don't think he had any idea what it meant to love someone," Lois said.

"He was raised by Lionel Luthor, what else can you expect?" Clark replied, the memory of how brutally Lionel had beaten him suddenly flashed before his eyes.

Clark paused for a moment before he added, "You know being in that world made me wonder Lois, what if everything I've become here, is just fate, and not destiny, what if my parents hadn't found me when my spaceship landed, would I have become the same person?"

"I don't know Clark," Lois replied, contemplating his words, "All I know is that your birth parents sent you here to be safe, and to become this world's savior, and I like to believe that you would have become that in any universe no matter who raised you."

"Then why wasn't Clark Luthor anything like me?" Clark asked.

"May be because he never realized that he had a choice," Lois said. "Clark do you know that he was wearing a Red-K ring?"

Clark suddenly realized that it must be the ring that Lionel had asked him about in that other world. That was what Tess probably meant when she said that Lionel drugged him.

"May be Lionel forces him to wear it, so he could never be himself," Lois said.

"Yes but he isn't as helpless as you think he is," Clark replied. "He has the same powers that I have, he has everything, yet he chooses to live the life that he does. He chooses to be manipulated, to be drugged, it's his choice, not someone else's."

Lois felt that someone had ripped her heart into two pieces. The idea of Clark, in any universe, living such a tormented life without even realizing it, sickened her to the core.

"You know this whole thing has made me realize why I am susceptible to the darkness," Clark said worriedly. "My powers can easily corrupt me if I don't keep them in check,"

Lois could see his conflict in his eyes. She knew that he sometimes doubted the strength of his very own morals and values. She knew that the fear of being corrupted, being lured by the dark side, of crossing the lines between black and white often haunted him, and seeing Clark Luthor had elevated that fear.

She often felt that she couldn't even fathom the enormity of the decisions that he had to make on a daily basis, and those were the moments when she realized that the only way she could comfort him was with her words, the only thing she could do was to try to give him the one assurance that always managed to lessen his burdens – that she was his strength.

"Well at least in this world you don't have to worry about keeping yourself in check," she brought a playful smile on her lips. "I've got that covered, because I can't survive in a world where the Blur isn't there to save people,"

A smile instantly found its way towards his lips and she felt a burden being lifted from her heart as she saw the sparkle return in his beautiful eyes. She punched his arm and stepped into the elevator. He followed her inside and put his arm around her once again, pulling her closer.

"Who knows, may the other Lois might do the same for Clark Luthor," Clark whispered as his lips lingered over hers.

"They crossed each others paths in that universe too, didn't they?" she asked.

"Did he say something to you about that?" Clark asked as he suddenly looked up, studying Lois's face.

The way Clark Luthor had kissed her when they first met flashed before Lois's eyes for a moment, and then she remembered conversation that she had with him at the Watchtower.

"Yeah, kind of," Lois replied, trying to sound nonchalant, "I just wonder how Earth Two Lois managed to put up with him,"

"Consider yourself universally consistent," Clark chuckled softly.

Lois was surprised to hear him say the same words that Clark Luthor had said to her.

"You didn't cut him any slack," Clark added, "But somehow I have this feeling that she was about to give him a second chance,"

"May be that's all he needs," Lois said. "A second chance,"

She softly pressed her lips on his. He captured her lips into a deep and insistent kiss. His lips lingered over hers for a few moments, savoring her sweetness, the warmth of her body pressed against hers, and just the joy of having her in her arms. It meant everything to know that she trusted him and loved him, and that he was back in the world where he had the strength to save everyone and spread hope every single day of his life.

**End.**


End file.
